Kaijou's Miracles
by Aiwritingfic
Summary: Kuroko Tetsuya will show the Generation of Miracles the error of their ways... starting with the one on his team. A Kuroko-goes-to-Kaijou AU. In this AU, Kuroko never picks up Hyuuga's wallet and never watches Seirin play, so he doesn't know about Seirin High School. First posted on AO3 on August 13, 2014.
1. Chapter 1

Kuroko rubbed his temples tiredly. On top of studying for finals and entrance exams, he still hadn't actually decided on which high schools to short list, and the deadline to turn in the post-graduation form to career counseling was coming up. He hadn't been releasing any pent-up stress in the usual way, either, since he'd been avoiding the basketball club and everyone associated with it after that finals match.

Finals. That score. The look on the faces of Meikou's players. That last basket Aomine and Murasakibara had cooperated on.

Kuroko suddenly felt as if the walls of the house were closing in on him and then decided that he'd had quite enough of the silent house. He could probably go out for a walk without anyone noticing that a boy of school-going age was wandering the streets. There were occasions when being unnoticeable was actually rather useful. Not that Kuroko would ever admit this to anyone else.

* * *

Once inside his usual convenience store, Kuroko took a few steps towards the magazine racks before he realized he'd done it on habit. He turned away before he got there, choosing an aisle at random.

He paused at the freezer case. They had twin popsicles, but Kuroko had barely reached for the door to the case when he remembered that he didn't currently have any one to share with. That thought was enough to make him move away. He wandered through the aisles, looking at the snacks and drinks on display, nothing in particular catching his eye. When he turned his attention towards the magazines again, he didn't stop himself.

The first one he picked up was _Basketball Monthly_, which had an article on the middle school nationals. Kuroko skipped past it and paused at the article after that. "High Schools to Watch Next Year", it said.

He looked at the article for a little while, and then took it to the counter to pay for it.

* * *

He'd stopped by Maji Burger for a milkshake on the way back home, and he now sat at his desk slurping the milkshake slowly in order to avoid brain-freeze. The article had been interesting, even if most of the schools they'd named were so far away that it would be impractical to apply or attend. Of the ones within commuting distance, all the names mentioned were already on Kuroko's potential list of high schools... bar one.

Kuroko checked his watch. If he left now, he'd probably arrive before Kaijou's basketball practice ended.

* * *

Kaijou's grounds were surprisingly extensive. Instead of asking for directions, Kuroko opted to wander towards the buildings that looked the most likely to house basketball practice.

Luckily for him, as he approached the buildings that looked the most like gyms, he could hear the familiar thud of basketballs and the squeak of shoes on the court coming from one in particular. Kuroko's heart quickened. It had been a while. He slipped in quietly, standing in the corner looking around before he noticed the stairs that led to the spectators balcony. No one stopped him to ask him who he was as he ascended.

The view from up here was excellent. There were two games going on side-by-side, and the players not in the matches were cheering on the ones that were. It didn't take long to pick out the coach, a very large man standing on the sidelines in between the two courts with two tall players next to him who were quietly conferring on occasion.

"Hayakawa!" someone shouted from the far court. "Take it to them!"

Kuroko watched as a player grabbed the ball that was passed to him. Then he winced as the player roared. "UWUUUUOOOOOOOH~!" the player said, driving towards the goal as the other side mustered their defenses. "I'M COMING, WATCH ME GOOOOOO! I'M GOING TO SCO(R)E!"

Even if Kuroko couldn't quite understand the last incoherent shout, Hayakawa's intent was clear. Three of the opposing side's players arrayed themselves before Hayakawa. He wasn't as fast as Aomine was on the court, Kuroko thought, but he certainly was fearless. The way he was going, though, he was about to get the ball stripped from him... no, wait. Kuroko felt the corners of his mouth tug upwards as he realized what Hayakawa's teammates were doing while Hayakawa was drawing everyone's attention with his charge.

Hayakawa skillfully slipped by the first player that attempted to stop him. Kuroko revised his opinion of Hayakawa upwards somewhat. The other two spread themselves out side by side just enough to halt Hayakawa's charge. Hayakawa stopped, dribbling as he looked around. "Kasamatsu-senpai!" he said, and passed to a player with spiky black hair and knee socks.

"Good job, Hayakawa," Kasamatsu said, easily catching the ball and dodging past the other players. In a second, Kasamatsu was within the key, and he coiled into a shooting position. Kuroko noted the opposing center and two other players closing in on Kasamatsu. If he really was going to shoot from there, he would get blocked easily.

The center got there first, towering over Kasamatsu. "As if I'd let you," he said.

"As if I'd expect you to," Kasamatsu replied, shooting-but not in the direction of the hoop.

A lanky good-looking boy in the corner of the court grabbed it and transitioned into the most unorthodox form Kuroko had seen. The ball swished through the basket. The whistle blew. Kasamatsu gave a thumbs-up to the shooter and patted a joyfully yelling Hayakawa on the back. The center scratched his head, and Kasamatsu laughed and patted his arm too.

The coach spoke. "All right, boys, regroup for the post-game discussion. Kasamatsu, it's your turn to lead it."

"Yes sir," Kasamatsu said, and began a detailed discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of each player on the court, both on his side and on the other team.

* * *

The post-game discussion had been insightful, and Kuroko had used his phone to look up Kasamatsu and some of the other players. Kasamatsu Yukio was a nationally ranked point guard even though he was only in his second year; the other players had been decent, but not much had been written about them online.

As the practice below him wound up, Kuroko watched Kasamatsu go around the room patting some of his teammates on the back, talking to some of the others quietly. Kuroko noted the smiles and rueful nods in turn.

* * *

He overheard the conversation quite by accident.

He'd headed to the main school building, looking for a bathroom. On his way out, he'd heard voices, and then he'd realized they were coming from the teacher's office before him. The doors were open. Kuroko had paused before the doors, wondering if he'd get in trouble if he was noticed (since he wasn't a student there) but then he'd recognized the voices and he'd been unable to walk away. He stayed where he was, listening quietly.

"Why not, sir?" Kasamatsu was asking.

The coach exhaled a long drawn-out sigh. "Because I know this is just guilt and responsibility talking, and you'll regret this in a couple of months," he said. "No one holds you responsible for it, Kasamatsu. Don't resign."

"But I cost us our opportunity to advance."

Kuroko winced internally at the self-reproach he could hear in Kasamatsu's voice. Was this really the same player that had been so confident and forceful during practice? Then again, the coach had used Kasamatsu's name, and that had sounded like the same voice...

"It was a missed pass, that's all. It happens to everyone," the coach said.

Not true, Kuroko thought, thinking of Aomine and Akashi.

"You don't reward a mistake like that with the captaincy, sir," Kasamatsu was saying. "I'm the last one you should be looking at for that."

"On the contrary, that's exactly why you should be the captain." Another long exhale. "Kasamatsu, if Yoshino had been the one who'd had the ball, what would he have done in your shoes?"

There was a pause before Kasamatsu answered quietly. "Senpai would have made the basket."

"If he hadn't, would you have blamed him?"

If Kasamatsu had made a reply to that, it was inaudible, but then the coach said, "In that case, why do you expect the others to blame you?"

Kuroko didn't hear a reply to that question either.

"Take this back," the coach said.

"Yes, sir." Someone cleared their throat, and then Kasamatsu said, "We'll win next year."

"Yes, we will," the coach said. "I'm counting on you to bring us to victory."

The sound that followed brought to mind a pat on the back, and then a chair squeaked. Kuroko stayed where he was, wondering if he was going to need to think of a story quickly. He didn't hear any footsteps, just the sound of paper shuffling.

Another throat-clearing, and then the coach spoke again. "Now, the reason I called you here. Since you're the next captain, I wanted your input on recruiting for your team. We have a couple of slots available, and I'm thinking of trying for at least one of these players in the middle school circuit. The kids they call the Generation of Miracles at that school Teikou. Heard of them?"

"Somewhat, sir," Kasamatsu replied.

"I've got a video of the finals they played not that long ago," the coach said. "Come, we'll watch it on that TV over there."

Kuroko heard a chair scrape and then the sound of footsteps receding further into the room. Now was the best time to leave, and he did so, feeling vaguely unsettled.

* * *

Almost daily, high school basketball recruiters visited Teikou to speak with one or more of the graduating third-years, but no one had called Kuroko out at all. He'd half-expected this, but it was still depressing, especially when the grapevine sent along daily reports of how much class the other members of the Generation of Miracles were missing in favor of conferences with scouts. It was by pure chance Kuroko noticed Kise and Kaijou's coach standing outside one of the school conference rooms as Kuroko was leaving his last class one day. (Kuroko had looked Kaijou's coach up; Takeuchi Genta had been one of Japan's representatives at the Olympics in his youth.)

"Think about it, Kise-kun," Coach Takeuchi said. "We'll be in touch with your family in the next couple of days to discuss the matter further."

"The modeling is okay, you said?"

The coach nodded. "We'll make it work. Play your best for us, and we'll make everything else work somehow. You can come by any time to see us practice, too..."

"I don't think I need to." Kise flashed the grin Kuroko had come to think of as Kise's Sunshine Sparkle Smile. "As long as you're all right with the modeling, my mother will call you tomorrow. Thank you for the chat!" Then Kise was off, mercifully in the direction away from Kuroko.

Coach Takeuchi watched Kise go, and then turned to go back into the room. He paused, looking in Kuroko's direction. "You," he said, making a come-here gesture.

Reflexively, Kuroko glanced behind him to see who Coach Takeuchi was calling, but there wasn't anyone else around.

"You're Teikou's Number Fifteen, aren't you? Please come here for a moment."

Kuroko managed to keep his face impassive except for possibly a slight widening of his own eyes. Takeuchi Genta had seen Kuroko, had noticed him, and had correctly matched Kuroko's face to the number he'd worn playing for Teikou. How? He turned back to face Coach Takeuchi, who had walked up to him and was standing before him now. "Yes, sir?"

The coach studied Kuroko for a few moments while Kuroko merely stood and returned his gaze. Then Coach Takeuchi nodded firmly to himself. "Do you have time right now? I'd like it if you could join me for a few minutes."

* * *

Kuroko sat quietly on the conference room couch as the Coach settled heavily into the sofa across from him. "What a coincidence to see you there," Coach Takeuchi said. "Kuroko-kun, wasn't it?"

"Yes sir," Kuroko said, growing more curious by the minute. "Kuroko Tetsuya."

"Well," Coach Takeuchi said, almost to himself. "Since you're here, maybe it was meant to be. Kuroko-kun... have you chosen a high school yet?"

"Not yet, sir."

"How do you feel about Kanagawa?"

"It's a nice place, sir."

Coach Takeuchi paused for a moment, and then pulled out his phone. "What station do you commute from?" Kuroko named it. Coach Takeuchi thought a moment, and then frowned. "Almost an hour's commute? Does it take you that long to get here?"

Kuroko nodded.

"From your station to Kaijou is about the same distance as it is to Teikou," Coach Takeuchi said. "Kuroko-kun, have you spoken to any schools yet?"

"Spoken to schools?" Kuroko paused. "Sir... am I being scouted?"

Coach Takeuchi nodded.

* * *

It hadn't been a long discussion. Mostly Coach Takeuchi had talked about Kaijou, although he occasionally asked questions about Kuroko's interests, grades, and basketball intentions. At the end of it, Coach Takeuchi had given Kuroko his business card, a folder full of information about both Kaijou and its the basketball club, and asked, "Do you have any questions?"

After a slight hesitation, Kuroko forged ahead. "Please forgive me if this is inappropriate, but may I ask which of my teammates you've spoken to besides Kise-kun?"

Coach Takeuchi nodded. "No, it's perfectly all right. Besides you, I've only spoken to Kise-kun."

That had been an unexpected answer, both in its honesty and its content. If Coach Takeuchi was willing to speak so frankly, though, perhaps Kuroko could inquire further. "May I ask why?"

The coach eyed him a moment, and then said, "I think Kise-kun has a lot of potential to grow. We'd like it to be at Kaijou."

That hadn't actually been the answer Kuroko sought, although that was illuminating too. He wondered whether it would be politic to ask why Kaijou hadn't considered talking to Aomine, Akashi, Murasakibara, or Midorima. He also wondered why Takeuchi had talked to _him_.

"You seem the thoughtful type," Coach Takeuchi said.

Unable to think of an answer to that, Kuroko said, "Thank you, sir."

"Did you want to know why I chose you? Or why I didn't choose anyone else?"

Since the man seemed to be offering to answer... "Both, if you please, sir."

"I've been watching your team a while, and I watched practice for a couple of days, too," Takeuchi said. "I think that of your teammates, Kise-kun will fit in the best at Kaijou, and we only have a limited number of slots."

"Why me instead of... Aomine-kun, for example?"

"Are you always this direct?" Coach Takeuchi raised an eyebrow at Kuroko. Kuroko held his expression still.

After a moment, Coach Takeuchi sighed. "Call it gut instinct," he said slowly. "You give a lot, playing the way you do. We like that kind of thing at Kaijou, but don't get me wrong, we're not asking you to join us self-sacrificially. This is just a feeling, but I believe that you'll get back a lot when you play with the boys on our team right now."

Kuroko nodded. "Thank you for answering my impertinent questions with such honesty, sir."

"Thank you for speaking with me, and for asking those questions," Coach Takeuchi said, rising. He held out a hand to shake. "Should I expect a call from your parents too, or would you like to come watch us practice?"

Kuroko shook his hand. "I've already watched Kaijou practice."

He took pleasure in the surprise on Coach Takeuchi's face. It lasted only a couple of moments, and then the surprise shifted into a smile. "So you were thinking about us already," Coach Takeuchi said. "I'm proud and flattered. May _I_ ask why?"

Kuroko smiled. "Gut instinct."


	2. Chapter 2

After the first day of school came the first basketball practice. Kuroko took his time in the locker room, watching third-years greeting each other with an easy familiarity, second-years greeting third-years with unforced deference, first-years milling about looking nervous and excited, greeting classmates and eyeing the regulars with expressions varying from awe to envy. This was how it had been in the beginning, back when Kuroko had first joined Teikou. He felt his chest constrict unexpectedly.

When Kise opened the door and walked in, all heads turned. Kise smiled the smile Kuroko had internally dubbed Kise Ryouta Greets The Masses. "Hi, everyone! Nice to meet you! Does anyone know which locker is mine, or are they free?"

"That's Kise Ryouta from my class," a first-year near Kuroko groaned. "He's one of Teikou's Generation of Miracles."

"Wait, isn't he a model?" another one asked in a hushed whisper. "Is he modeling and doing this too?"

The upperclassmen glanced around, and then in silent agreement looked towards a tall regular. It was a moment before Kuroko remembered him as Kobori, the center Kasamatsu had faced on the court. Kobori paused, seemed to realize people were looking at him, and glanced around the room briefly. He didn't seem to find what he had been looking for, but he smiled, shrugged, and said, "They're free. Find one you like that doesn't already have a lock on it, and it's yours."

"Thanks!" Kise said. He moved in slowly, looking around the room intently, and then his eyes met Kuroko's. Kise visibly brightened. "KUROKOCCHI! You're really here!"

Kuroko watched impassively as everyone craned their necks, looking around as Kise bounced towards him. It wasn't until Kise stopped in front of Kuroko that the others managed to fix their glances on him. A few of the students near Kuroko did double-takes, one of them actually drawing back in surprise. Kuroko restrained the urge to roll his eyes. "Please stop calling me that, Kise-kun," he said.

"So Momoicchi _wasn't_ playing a joke on me when she messaged me just now!" Kise put his bag down and scanned the lockers, opening the one next to Kuroko that was also free. "Why didn't you tell me? Was the entrance exam easy? Why did you choose Kaijou-oh, it's not that far from your home, right? Almost the same as Teikou was! Wait, could it be you _choose me_? Is that why you're here at Kaijou?"

"No, Kise-kun."

"I KNEW IT! Even though you deny it, we're best friends after all!" Kise beamed at Kuroko.

"You're the only one who thinks so, Kise-kun."

"Hah, take that, Aominecchi! Kurokocchi's on my side!"

Kuroko cleared his throat and then said clearly, "Kise-kun, I was scouted too."

"Ehhh?"

"What?"

"_Really?_"

Kise hadn't said any of the above things; he was gaping at Kuroko speechlessly.

Kuroko gave the nearby offenders a look. They turned away, quickly pretending they hadn't been eavesdropping. When Kuroko faced Kise again, Kise was hurriedly composing his features into his Never-Fail Get Out Of Trouble Smile. "I knew someone would recognize how amazing you were!" Kise beamed. "Kaijou's coach must have a really discerning eye, to have picked us both out of Teikou!"

Kuroko couldn't deny that he was somewhat intrigued too, since Coach Takeuchi had actually been able to spot Kuroko without Kuroko being pointed out to him. Before he could say anything, however, the room fell silent.

"All right, what's the ruckus?"

Kuroko and Kise both turned to see Kasamatsu standing in the doorway. "Please excuse us, Captain," Kuroko said, dipping his head in apology. "Kise-kun can be somewhat excitable."

Near Kasamatsu, a lanky good-looking boy (Kuroko recognized him as the shooter Kasamatsu had passed to in the match) chuckled and nudged Kobori. "There's one every year, hmm?" Kobori smiled. Both of them turned towards Hayakawa.

Hayakawa, heading towards the door, paused mid-stride as he met their glances. "WHY A(R)E YOU (L)OOKING AT ME, SENPAI?"

"QUIET, Hayakawa," Kasamatsu said. "Save the reunion for later, first-years. Practice is in five minutes; latecomers run twenty extra laps." He gave Kise a once-over, and then transferred his gaze to Kuroko. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, captain," Kuroko said, bowing before resuming his pre-practice preparations.

"Oh, so you're the captain?" Kise said, looking at Kasamatsu curiously, and then looking back at Kuroko. "Wait, how did you know that, Kurokocchi?"

"Kise-kun, even if you'd like to run twenty extra laps on the first day of practice, I would prefer not to," Kuroko said, checking to make sure he had his bottle and towel. "I'll see you on the court."

"Wait, Kurokocchi-!" Kise began, but Kuroko was already walking out of the locker room.

* * *

Kise ran into the gym just as Coach Takeuchi blew his whistle. Kuroko caught sight of the V-sign Kise flashed him, but looked away, concentrating on the upperclassmen, who'd gathered around the coach. "First-years!" Kasamatsu shouted, pointing to a spot in front of them. "Line up and introduce yourselves to the rest of the club! Name, middle school, and position!"

None of the names were familiar to Kuroko. Finally there was just Kise and Kuroko left. Kise grinned at Kuroko, and then raised his voice. "Since we've saved the best for last-no offense, Kurokocchi, you're included in 'the best'-I'm Kise Ryouta, a freshman! My hobby is basketball, and my speciality is karaoke! Ah, wait a sec, I got that backwards! I'm from Teikou Middle School! I'm okay with any position! I also work as a model, so I might not be able to make practice very often, but I'm looking forward to playing with everyone!"

"So that's him from the Generation of Miracles!"

A movement caught Kuroko's eyes. He didn't think he was in any real danger of getting hit, but it was probably safer to get out of the way regardless; he stepped aside as Kasamatsu rushed up, whirled, and delivered a kick to Kise's head.

"SHUT UP! I ONLY ASKED FOR YOUR NAME, MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND POSITION! ANSWER ONLY WHAT YOU'VE BEEN ASKED, YOU SHALLOW LITTLE TWIT!"

Kise had clearly not been expecting that; he hit the ground with a loud smack. Kuroko secretly sympathized-that had looked painful. On the other hand, it was rather unfair how Kise managed to look good even while pathetically sniveling on the floor.

Kise whined, holding his head. "HEY! I'm the highly-anticipated rookie that you guys scouted-what's with this treatment?! And I introduced myself with so much enthusiasm too..."

"LIKE I CARE!" Kasamatsu managed to tower over Kise. "You're a freshman either way. When a senpai gives an order, a freshman has no right to talk back!"

Kise got up slowly, pulling himself to his full height until he was looking down at Kasamatsu. "I really don't like stuff like that... stiff formalities and the like. What's so great about being born one or two years earlier?" He took a step towards Kasamatsu. "And anyway, when it comes to basketball, I'm probably better than you, you know?"

Kasamatsu didn't flinch. He planted himself squarely in front of Kise, looking up at Kise with narrowed eyes. "I'll tell you what's so great about it."

Kise's eyes widened.

"Before you even factor in being good or bad, this is Kaijou High School's basketball club." Kasamatsu jerked his chin towards the second-years and third-years behind him. "It's not because we were born earlier. The second and third years here have been working hard on this team longer than you have. I'm telling you to have respect for that experience. Doesn't matter if you're from the 'Generation of Miracles' or anything else. You're now a freshman at Kaijou, Kise Ryouta. And I'm a senior here, the captain, Kasamatsu Yukio. Got any complaints?"

Kise opened his mouth. Kuroko stepped _hard_ on Kise's foot.

"OW!"

"It's my turn now, Kise-kun." As Kise whimpered, Kuroko said, "Kuroko Tetsuya, originally from Teikou Middle School. I'm a sixth man."

He could hear the whispering. Kuroko checked his facial expression, keeping it carefully neutral.

"_Two_ from the Generation of Miracles!?"

"What's a sixth man?"

"I've heard of Kise, but who's this other kid?"

"Maybe he was a bench-warmer?"

Kasamatsu glanced pointedly at Kuroko's foot and then met Kuroko's eyes and raised an eyebrow. Kuroko lifted his foot, face steadfastly neutral. Kise shuffled out of Kuroko's reach.

"I'm a model, you know," Kise said, giving Kuroko an injured look. "Even my feet have to look pretty!"

"It serves you right for causing a disturbance, Kise-kun," Kuroko said. "Captain is right. You should listen to your senpai."

Kise pouted, but after a glance at both Kasamatsu and Kuroko, he kept quiet, instead sitting on the floor and rubbing his foot.

"Well, they were clearly teammates at the very least," the lanky good-looking boy said.

"Shut up, Moriyama," Kasamatsu said, not even bothering to turn around. He glanced at Coach Takeuchi, who was watching the proceedings with a beatific expression. Kasamatsu scowled and pointed to the open courts. "All right, everyone, practice is starting! Ten laps around the courts, now!"

The upperclassmen fell in behind Kasamatsu neatly, and the freshmen took up positions behind them. Kuroko found himself at the very rear of the pack. Kise jogged along lightly beside him, his stride even and graceful; clearly he'd just been making a fuss about his foot earlier. "So mean, Kurokocchi," Kise said. "That hurt!"

"You were about to say something you would have regretted."

"And the captain! He kicked me!"

"Sometimes that seems like the only way to get you to listen, Kise-kun."

Kise pouted. "I was so happy when Momoicchi told me you were here. I thought we'd have fun again like we used to! Instead, you're being horribly mean to me."

"I can't talk and run, Kise-kun," Kuroko said. He was already beginning to breathe hard, and yet Kise was still moving easily. "I'm going to ignore you now."

* * *

The upperclassmen had set a rather punishing pace for the first day of practice. As Kuroko expected, the gap between him and the rest of the club widened with every lap. "Kurokocchi, I'm sorry," Kise said in the middle of the third lap, "I wanted to run with you, but everyone else is leaving us behind. I'm going to go ahead now."

Kuroko couldn't respond, but he waved his hand weakly.

Kise sped up and caught up with the seniors, pulling up level with Kasamatsu. Kise said something, causing Kasamatsu to glare and run a little faster. Kuroko watched as Kise pulled a step ahead of Kasamatsu and stayed there.

Some time during the eighth circuit around the courts, the rest of the club lapped Kuroko, who pulled to the side and jogged a little slower so the others could pass him more easily. Although the upperclassmen at the very front glanced at Kuroko (Kasamatsu doing so with narrowed eyes and a glance at Kise), the rest of the club barely noticed him. Kuroko let the pack pass, and then continued at his own pace.

He had only just begun his last lap when the rest of the team began peeling off the pack and spreading themselves out through the open space in the middle of the court. The upperclassmen were panting, but some of the freshmen looked like they were ready to throw up. Standing in the center of the gym, Kise was barely breathing hard. For the umpteenth time since he'd first met Kise, Kuroko said a silent protest in his heart for the gene lottery that had given Kise so much raw athletic talent and left Kuroko out.

Kasamatsu, standing not far from Kise, looked around, surveying the club members. His gaze swept over Kuroko, and then doubled back. Their eyes met. Kasamatsu glanced at Kise, then Coach Takeuchi, before looking back at Kuroko with an expression of concern.

Kise looked up, followed Kasamatsu's gaze, and said something Kuroko couldn't hear. Kasamatsu scowled and hit Kise. Kuroko noted Kise's apparent masochism and kept running.

* * *

After the laps came shuttle runs, ball passing, and more running. When they got to the jumping jacks, Kuroko lost the battle against his nausea, but he was in good company-a couple of the other freshmen were retching along beside him. Kasamatsu ordered them to clean up after themselves. Kobori, who was apparently vice captain, showed them where to get buckets, mops, and cleaning cloths, and then stayed to supervise. Kuroko wondered why a good club like Kaijou didn't have a manager or two, and missed Momoi while he mopped up his mostly-digested lunch.

At the end of the drills, most of the freshmen were sprawled on the gym floor with their eyes closed. Kuroko wasn't doing much better, though he was at least propped up against the gym wall. Kise was the only freshman still standing, and even he looked a little winded.

Kobori raised his voice. "All right, everyone, I know you're tired, but clear the courts. I hope you practiced over your break, because we're going to have a couple of games."

Some of the freshmen, including Kise, perked up; they all obeyed. Kuroko sipped from his bottle and watched to make sure no one sat on him (the last time that had happened, it had not been pleasant for either party.) Coach Takeuchi stepped up with a clipboard and showed it to Kasamatsu and Kobori.

Kasamatsu's eyes narrowed at the clipboard. He glanced up at Coach Takeuchi, and then turned to the rest of the club. "First round, on my team: Hayakawa, PF, Nishiya, SF. Moriyama, SG, Tomita, C. On Kobori's team: Akino, PF, Uchida, SF. Nakamura, SG, Kuroko, PG. Ten-minute match. Get ready!"

Kuroko climbed to his feet, his tiredness beginning to fade as his heart beat a little faster. It had been a while since he'd last played in a game. He glanced at Kise, who was pouting on the sidelines, and then he turned his attention to Kobori, who had become the focal point of his impromptu team. As far as Kuroko could tell, the other members were returning upperclassmen; none of them had introduced themselves at the beginning of practice.

One of them, tall and wiry, looked around. "Where's that freshman? Just because he's from Teikou, doesn't mean he gets to dawdle and keep his senpai waiting!"

Kuroko shifted his approach a little so he'd be just beside the wiry boy's elbow. "I'm right here, senpai."

The boy jumped, and then groaned. "Oh man," he said. "Talk about a lack of presence! Will you be okay?"

Kuroko nodded, and turned his attention to Kobori. "Before we start, senpai, may I please say something?"

Kobori smiled down at Kuroko. "What is it?"

"Please don't take your eyes off the ball," Kuroko said, pulling his wristbands out of his pockets and putting them on. "It may appear when you least expect it."

All four of Kuroko's teammates looked confused. Nakamura frowned and looked at Kobori. Kobori scratched his head and said, "I'm not sure what you mean."

"It'll become clear when we play," Kuroko said. "Until then, please take good care of me."

A compactly-built third-year chuckled and patted Kuroko on the shoulder. "Well, I don't quite get what you're trying to say, but that's what senpai are for," he said. "Come on, let's play! I'm dying to show Nishiya who's the better SF."

Kuroko remembered the name Kasamatsu had read out for SF. That meant the wiry one was Akino. "I'll do my best to help you, Uchida-senpai."

Uchida patted Kuroko's shoulder again. "That's the spirit." He glanced at Kobori. "So, what's our strategy?"

Kobori looked at Kuroko. "You're PG. Do you have something you'd like to try?"

Kuroko shook his head. "Play as you always do, senpai. I'll fit in."

Kobori studied Kuroko, scratching the back of his neck this time as he did so. He shifted his gaze towards the other side of the court, where Kasamatsu was speaking to his team. "All right... man-to-man, then, and if you get a chance, go for it."

The whistle blew, and they filed onto the court.

* * *

Kobori won the tip-off, easily beating the other center, Tomita, for the ball. Kuroko stayed on the side, circling around Moriyama and Hayakawa, who were both focused on the ball. Kobori passed to Akino, who drove quickly down the center of the court.

"Like I'd let you!" Hayakawa shouted as he rushed in front of Akino. Akino stopped, glanced around, and passed back to Kobori-

-Kuroko tapped the ball before it was intercepted by Kasamatsu. It landed in front of Uchida, who gaped and grabbed it reflexively. "What- How-" he said, looking around.

"Dammit, pass or go, DON'T JUST STAND THERE!" Akino shouted.

It was too late-Kasamatsu and Moriyama were right there, and Uchida was forced to pass backwards. Hayakawa jumped in between Uchida and his target, Nakamura. "Thanks for the ba(ll)!" he cried, turning to drive.

"How rude! Kouhai shouldn't steal the ball and run," Akino said, stepping in front of Hayakawa.

"Senpai can't stop me," Hayakawa said, grinning. He dribbled, waiting for his teammates to run up. Kuroko saw his chance and went for it. A tap from behind, and Hayakawa's fingers swiped down into empty air as the ball bounced towards Akino. "Huh?" Hayakawa looked around frantically. "How'd I miss it-"

Akino dodged Hayakawa quickly, driving the ball down the court. Kasamatsu stepped up, cutting in front of Akino and stealing the ball. "Moriyama!" Kasamatsu shouted, passing-

-Kuroko shoved the ball towards Nakamura, who was ready for it. Nakamura didn't hesitate; he shot towards the other hoop.

Kuroko ran; he didn't think Nakamura was going to make it-they were at center court, and even Midorima used those long-range shots sparingly-but then he saw Uchida and Tomita angling for position at the top of the key.

"Get closer, Uchida-senpai!" Kuroko shouted.

After only a moment's pause, Uchida broke off, and while Tomita was off-balance, got a head start towards the hoop. Kuroko ran as fast as he could; he only needed to make the ball bounce-

-he made it, and the ball soared over Tomita's head towards the goal. Uchida was ready; he grabbed the ball and easily made an unguarded lay-up. The whistle blew.

"Yes, first point to Kurokocchi!" Kise called from the sidelines, cheering. Kuroko looked over to see Kise giving him a thumbs-up. "Show them your basketball!"

It wouldn't be very nice of Kuroko not to acknowledge the thumbs-up. He nodded at Kise shortly before running back towards the center of the court as Tomita threw the ball in.

* * *

The game ended in Kuroko's team's favor, though it wasn't by a large margin. Kasamatsu had kept a sharp eye on Kuroko after that first basket, but in the heat of the game Kuroko had managed to slip away just enough times to make it count. As they walked off the court, Kuroko saw Kasamatsu and Kobori exchange glances. Kobori smiled. Kasamatsu grinned back at him.

"You won, Kurokocchi!" Kise said; he'd been waiting for Kuroko on the side with Kuroko's bottle. Kuroko took it with a quick thank you. Kise shifted his weight from one side to the other, eyeing the Coach and the two seniors. "It's too bad _I_ wasn't on the court with you, though. They'd really notice a triple score!"

Kuroko drank deeply and ignored Kise's words. His knees were beginning to feel shaky; he found a spot near the gym doors and sat down with his back to the wall again. It had been a long time since he'd played seriously, and he could tell he was out of practice. At Teikou, playing a couple of games after the main drills was routine for first-stringers, but it had been a while since the last time Kuroko had put himself through the rigor of a serious basketball practice. He was glad that had only been a ten-minute match.

Kobori consulted the clipboard Coach Takeuchi held out, and then announced, "For the next round, on my team is Hiratsuka, PG, Moriyama, SG. Hayakawa, PF, Uchida, SF."

Kasamatsu said, "Tomita, C. Kise, PF, Nishiya, SF. Nakamura, SG. Again, ten-minute game. You guys can wear the vests this time." He pulled his off and handed it to Kobori.

"And it's my turn!" Kise grinned at Kuroko, moving towards the court. "Watch, Kurokocchi, I'm going to double their score!" Kise waved back to Kuroko as he stepped up beside Kasamatsu. He said something that caused Moriyama to laugh and Hayakawa to splutter. Kasamatsu said something in reply, and Kise's face lit up as he turned towards Kasamatsu with a huge smile.

Kuroko imagined perked ears and a wagging tail; it wasn't difficult.

Coach Takeuchi blew his whistle. "Teams, on the court."

* * *

Tomita and Kobori faced each other on the tip-off again. Kobori won this one too, his height coupling with a powerful jump that edged out slightly-smaller Tomita. Kobori passed to Hayakawa, who roared as he drove down the court and stopped short when Kise cut in front of him with a grin. "Kiseeee!" Hayakawa roared, dodging to the left. Kise mirrored him. "Nice t(r)y, but you can't catch meeeee!" Hayakawa shouted, jerking to the right, breaking away from Kise-

-and running two steps before he realized the ball was gone. "What!?"

"Sorry, Hayakawa-senpai," Kise said, pulling away. "Better luck next time!"

"Nooooo!" Hayakawa said, giving chase.

Hiratsuka stepped in front of Kise. Without breaking his stride, Kise wove, dodging past Hiratsuka to where Moriyama and Uchida were waiting. Kise paused before them, and Hayakawa ran up behind him.

"I'm taking that back!" Hayakawa cried.

Kise smiled, crouched, and then blurred into a left-right-left. Hayakawa dashed past Kise, hand reaching into thin air where the ball had been only a split second ago. Moriyama turned, tracking Kise, and Uchida edged sideways towards the ball. Kise winked at them. "Watch this!" he said, and he spun, bringing the ball with him, around and behind, dodging out of range of Uchida's last-minute swipe, ducking under Moriyama's high block, dashing into the key to face Kobori. Kise jumped, and so did Kobori... but mid-air, Kise flicked his wrist, and the ball sailed over Kobori's fingers into the goal.

Kuroko blinked. For a moment, it had felt as if that had been Aomine on the court.

Kobori was looking at Kise with wide eyes. Kise grinned at him, then turned and flashed a V at the rest of his team, who'd only just caught up. "Hehe, we'll definitely win this one, Kasamatsu-senpai!" he cried joyfully.

Kasamatsu punched Kise's shoulder. "Slow down and give the rest of your team time to catch up and support you!"

"What?" Kise winced, rubbing his shoulder, and moved out of Kasamatsu's reach, wailing. "Weren't you watching, senpai? Don't worry about something like that! I took them all on and made the basket!"

"And what if you'd lost the ball?" Kasamatsu said.

"No offense, senpai, but I'm pretty sure I won't lose in a one-on-one to anyone here."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hayakawa shouted.

"Oh dear," said a female voice Kuroko recognized instantly. "Ki-chan's gotten better over the break. Not that I hadn't known he would, but I was sort of hoping he hadn't."

Kuroko got up, because it wasn't polite to be sitting down when the hem of Momoi's skirt was at his eye level. "Hello, Momoi-san," he said.

"Tetsu-kun!" Momoi flung her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "I haven't seen you all vacation! Why haven't you been responding to my e-mails? I had to work really hard to find out you were coming here! Are you and Ki-chan having fun?"

"Momoicchi?" Kise said. Kasamatsu turned, paled, and dropped the ball. Coach Takeuchi blew his whistle, ending the match prematurely.

* * *

Over in a corner, Momoi was deep in discussion with Coach Takeuchi, Kasamatsu, and Kobori. Kuroko watched with interest as Kasamatsu occasionally shifted to ensure that either Coach Takeuchi or Kobori was between Momoi and himself at all times.

"Kuroko, right? So, who is she?"

Kuroko glanced at Moriyama, who had sidled up and had been hovering next to Kuroko and Kise. "Moriyama-senpai," he said in greeting. "Momoi-san is a good friend."

"A good friend," Moriyama said, almost to himself. He addressed Kuroko again. "How did you do it?"

Kuroko blinked. "Do what?"

"Why, how did you get such a beautiful girlfriend, of course!" Moriyama frowned. "As your senpai, I insist you let me in on the secret."

"But she's not my girlfriend," Kuroko said.

"Don't lie to your senpai," Moriyama said, waggling a finger at Kuroko. "There's no need to be shy! We don't have any rules against dating, so you can be honest."

Kise laughed. "Momoicchi's had a crush on Kurokocchi since the second year of middle school, but Kurokocchi's been playing hard to get."

Moriyama's jaw dropped. "_She_'s pursuing _him_?" Kise nodded. Moriyama's eyes widened. "Truly, you are a member of the Generation of Miracles."

Kuroko sighed internally. He was saved from having to respond when Momoi ran up. "Tetsu-kun, Ki-chan, I'm glad I got to see you, but I have to get back to Touou," she said. "I just know Aomine-kun skipped the first day of practice because I wasn't there to make sure he went!"

"Speaking of which, why _are_ you here, Momoicchi?" Kise asked.

Momoi pouted. "Can't a girl just drop by and visit her old friends?"

"Not during Touou's basketball practice," Kuroko said. Kise nodded.

"Ah, Tetsu-kun knows me so well!" Momoi beamed at Kuroko. "You're right." She hugged Kuroko, gave him a squeeze, and then let go, walking to the gym doors before she turned. "I came to set up a practice match between Kaijou and Touou. We'll see you in two weeks, so be prepared!" And with a wave, she was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

Since the announcement that Kaijou would be playing Touou, Kise had thrown himself into practices. He lapped the rest of the club at least once during the warm-up circuits, out-sprinted even Kasamatsu on the shuttle runs, and instead of counting how many reps of any drill he did, he just kept going until the last person was done, working on the side after his turn was over. As the rest of the club began their cool-down exercises after a particularly grueling drill, Kise jogged lightly, not stopping even as he stretched.

"Didn't he say he'd miss a practice here and there? He hasn't missed a single one."

Kuroko looked up from where he was stretching in the corner to see Kobori, Moriyama, and Kasamatsu nearby, water bottles in hand. Kobori continued, "He's flashy and just this side of arrogant, but he also works harder than anyone else in this club."

Moriyama frowned. "Don't you think there's something about his attitude that's a little worrisome? In my opinion, he's working too hard and setting too high a pace. It's as if he's chasing something."

Kuroko knew who Kise was chasing. He kept as quiet and as unobtrusive as he knew to be, stretching one leg carefully, and listened.

"Whatever he's chasing, it's certainly not us," Kobori said with a sigh. "The way he plays, the other four members of his team may as well not be on the court. Most of the club can't stop him at all, even when double-teaming him, and the rest of us are on mostly even ground, so the other team can't afford to put three people on him."

"There's something admirable and at the same time terrifying about that," Moriyama said. "Everyone else seems to have taken him as an example, though. It hasn't been as hard to get the members to put more energy into practice. When someone gifted with that kind of talent is working as hard as everyone else-no, harder-it feels really shameful to quit before you really have to."

"We need to make sure he doesn't overtrain and injure himself," Kasamatsu said, watching Kise shift from jogging to knee-lifts. "For now, just keep an eye on him. I'll talk to Coach. Something else is bothering me."

"Something else? What?" Moriyama turned and looked at Kobori. "Do _you_ know about this?"

Kobori shook his head.

"It's not important... at least, I don't think it is. It's just a feeling I've got," Kasamatsu said, shaking his head as if chasing away the thought. "Anyway, I'd appreciate it if you guys could help watch out for him, at least for the time being."

Kuroko switched sides and stretched his other leg; it made it easier for him to watch Kise, who'd switched to slow lunges. Was the power of suggestion working on Kuroko after overhearing the conversation, or did Kise look like he was having a little less fun than on the first day?

* * *

The day before the practice game with Touou, Kaijou's basketball club had another mini-match. This time, Kasamatsu's team included Kobori, Moriyama, Hayakawa, and Kise; the other side was composed of upperclassmen reserve players. Kuroko eyed Kise's back, hiding his envy. He wished he was playing, too.

The players stood on the sidelines while Kasamatsu and Kobori conferred with Coach Takeuchi. Kise turned to Moriyama. "Moriyama-senpai, aren't all the starting regulars on our side? Is this how we're going to play in matches from now on?"

"Well spotted," Moriyama said, nodding. "I wouldn't take my word for it, since Coach and Kasamatsu have the final say, but this is probably going to be our starting lineup, yes."

Kise studied the other team, and then sighed, his shoulders slumping. "Maybe they should switch me over to that side to make it a more even match."

From where Kuroko was standing, he could see Moriyama lift one eyebrow. "What's wrong with occasionally taking it easy, Kise? Besides, we have a big game tomorrow, even if it's just for bragging rights." Moriyama smiled and gestured at the stands. "Look, your fangirls are here. Take it easy and show off for them. It's fun to watch you."

"Well, I'm glad it's fun to watch, but it's not much fun when it's so easy," Kise said with another sigh as he eyed the other team. Then he brightened. "Oh, wait, I know how to make it more fun. Do you want to play a game with me, Moriyama-senpai?"

"What do you mean?" Moriyama looked curious.

Kuroko felt a sharp pain in his chest. He narrowed his eyes, feeling his field of vision constrict.

"Let's compete to see who gets the most points!" Kise looked up at the balcony, and then back at Moriyama. "If you get more points than I do, I'll introduce you to as many girls as you want me to!"

The gym felt as if it were closing in on Kuroko.

"No!"

There was silence, and then Kuroko realized that for once, everyone was looking at him.

Kise had turned around at the sound of Kuroko's voice. "Kurokocchi?"

"I said no, Kise-kun." Kuroko felt as if he was struggling to speak. "Don't play the points game."

Kise's face lit with comprehension. "Oh, it's fine, it's fine!" he said, waving his hands. "We're not betting money or anything, and this isn't an official match."

"It's not about gambling or whether or not it's an official match." It wasn't just hard to speak any more, it was also hard to breathe evenly.

"But," Kise said, scratching his head. "We did this at Teikou all the time. It's like that quota Akashicchi set, right? And... well..." Kise shrugged and looked sheepish. "It helps with focus when the other side's not much of a challenge, you know?"

"Oy," said one of the players on the other team. "We can hear you."

"Bah, let it be," another one said, waving dismissively. "Neither of us can stop him together."

It took Kuroko a moment to realize he was trembling, and another moment to realize that the emotion he was feeling was rage. Why was it so hard to return to a state of calm? That was the way the phantom sixth man had to be: calm, patient, unobtrusive. He balled his fists, squeezing them hard, trying to force the energy coiling inside him away. Enunciation was difficult now. "That was one of the worst things about Teikou. Don't do it again, especially not _here_."

The shocked expression on Kise's face was mirrored on the faces of the people surrounding Kuroko. Kuroko didn't have to observe to know that people were slowly backing away from him.

"Kurokocchi," Kise said, halting a moment. He swallowed. "Kurokocchi, are you all right? This isn't like you at all."

_"I said, don't do it, Kise-kun."_

Kise turned as Kasamatsu came up behind him. Kasamatsu studied Kuroko for a moment and then gestured to Moriyama and Kise. "You two, follow me. Kobori, help Kuroko. Coach, I'm sorry, we need to handle this now. May we use your office?"

Coach Takeuchi blew his whistle and nodded at Kasamatsu. "Match suspended," he said.

A large arm encircled Kuroko. He looked up to see Kobori's concerned face. "Kuroko-kun, come," Kobori said in his calm voice. Kuroko found himself moving as Kobori guided him along behind Kasamatsu, Kise, and Moriyama. Kobori's grip was firm but not painful.

As they left the gym, Kuroko could hear Coach Takeuchi calmly issuing orders and calling names to replace the players who'd left the court. Kuroko wished he really were a phantom. Now would be the most appropriate time in his life for him to disappear.

* * *

Kobori guided Kuroko to a chair in the gym office, made Kuroko sit, and then left the room. Kise opened his mouth, but Kasamatsu shook his head and held a hand up to stop him. "Coach will be here soon," he said.

It wasn't long before Coach Takeuchi arrived. "Kobori is taking over practice," he said, pulling up another chair. "Thank you for waiting for me."

Kasamatsu nodded. "Kise, don't speak for now. Moriyama, tell us what happened."

"We were waiting on the sidelines for the game to start, and I was chatting with Kise," Moriyama said. "Kise suggested we play a game, and that's when Kuroko... well, I'm not sure what's going on, but Kuroko was right behind us, so perhaps it was about what Kise suggested?"

Kuroko focused on his breathing. It was easier to control his emotions, sitting here like this. He thought momentarily about slipping out of the room, but he suspected he wouldn't be allowed to get away with that. Besides, there was a sense of inertia pinning him to his chair. He listened, breathing as evenly as possible.

Kasamatsu glanced at Kuroko, and then at Kise. "What did you suggest?"

"It's just a harmless pastime," Kise said, a little sulkily. "I asked Moriyama-senpai if he'd like to compete with me, privately, to see who could score the most points."

Kuroko was watching Kasamatsu closely, so he saw one of Kasamatsu's eyes twitch, but Kasamatsu merely said, "Go on."

"That was it," Kise said, looking towards Moriyama, who nodded in confirmation. "I told Moriyama-senpai that if he beat me, I'd introduce him to all the girls he wanted me to. It was in harmless fun, just something to liven things up a little!"

Kasamatsu glanced at Kuroko again. Kuroko avoided Kasamatsu's eyes. Kasamatsu sighed. "Kuroko, what's your story?"

"It's as Kise-kun said." Kuroko suppressed his thoughts firmly. If he didn't think about anything, then he couldn't think about the rage or the anger. Keep his mind blank, and he could avoid thinking about that stupid game, the scoreboard with 111:11 on it, the asinine wagers and the complete lack of respect for the other team-

"-Kuroko."

Kuroko let out the breath he'd been holding unconsciously. He'd squeezed his eyes shut without even being aware of it. He opened them again to see Kise, Moriyama, Kasamatsu, and Coach Takeuchi looking at him with concerned expressions. Kasamatsu said, "Moriyama, if you don't mind, could you please go back to practice and help Kobori out?"

Moriyama looked as if he'd prefer to stay, but he nodded. "Of course." He left the room.

Kasamatsu pulled up a chair for Kise, who shook his head. Kasamatsu leaned against a desk, pushing the chair back where it was before. "Kuroko, stay where you are. Kise, tell me more about this points game."

* * *

Kise babbled, prompted by questions from Kasamatsu and Coach Takeuchi. Both Kasamatsu and Coach Takeuchi occasionally asked Kuroko if Kise was telling them everything, and Kuroko nodded.

Kise was actually saying a lot more than Kuroko had known. Kuroko had only guessed at the details, and it was both cathartic and infuriating to listen to Kise explaining how Teikou's regulars had kept themselves motivated. So it had been Kise's idea in the beginning, he thought. He'd assumed it had been Aomine's. In any case, Aomine had certainly bought into it by the end, and Akashi...

Kuroko measured his breath, counting to five slowly between each inhale and exhale.

* * *

When Kise was done, Coach Takeuchi looked thoughtful. Kasamatsu's lips were compressed tightly. Kuroko focused on breathing without moving.

"Thank you for your honesty," Kasamatsu said to Kise. "Because of that, I'm only going to bench you, not kick you off the team."

Kise's jaw dropped. "What- But- Why-" He gulped. "Coach- Captain! I don't understand!"

Kasamatsu glared at Kise, quelling the protest, and then addressed Kuroko. "Tell me why you're against the points game."

"It's disrespectful to our opponents."

"Aominecchi said playing half-heartedly wasn't very respectful either," Kise said.

Kasamatsu pointed his thumb at Kise. "Did you tell him?" he asked Kuroko.

"In the beginning I tried," Kuroko replied quietly. "By the end... I had stopped trying."

Kasamatsu frowned and crossed his arms, leaning heavily back against the desk. "Coach?"

"I assume your coaches didn't know about this," Coach Takeuchi said to Kise.

If Kise had a tail, it would be tucked between his legs. "I don't know if our coach knew," Kise said, hanging his head. "Akashicchi encouraged it, though, so I thought it was okay even if I had to persuade the others to do it in the beginning."

Kuroko watched as Kise wilted under Kasamatsu's glare and felt a moment's pity. He remembered the self-righteous conviction in Akashi's face after the Meikou match and said, "In fairness, even if Kise-kun had come up with the idea, if Akashi-kun hadn't approved or encouraged it, it would have been stillborn."

Kasamatsu gave Coach Takeuchi a long, measured glance. Coach Takeuchi shook his head. Kasamatsu scowled at Kise. "Again, I repeat, you're benched."

Kise's eyes widened. He looked at Kuroko, and then back at Kasamatsu. "But, I still don't understand why!"

"Since you appear to need it spelled out for you, let me do so in no uncertain terms," Kasamatsu said. "Willful disrespect isn't something we like here. Basketball is a team sport, but there are two teams on the court. It's not just about you and your teammates; it's also about how you play with the other team. This points game looks down on the opponent and doesn't even give them a shred of consideration. It tells the opponent that they aren't even worth taking seriously, that you can't even spare the length of the game to see them as your opponents, that they might as well not be on the court. Is that what you really think?"

Something in Kasamatsu's face seemed to have caught Kise's attention. He shook his head quickly.

"Dismissed. Nakamura will start tomorrow in your place. I expect you to be on the sidelines, cheering for your teammates," Kasamatsu said.

"Wait-you're benching me _tomorrow_?" Kise shook his head. "But-you can't, you _need_ me for that one. I'm not trying to boast or make a big deal out of myself-without me, you won't stand a chance against Aominecchi. Kurokocchi, tell him!"

Kasamatsu stepped forward and pointed a finger at Kise's chest. "It doesn't matter whether you're the ace or the last person on the roster. Tomorrow isn't Kise Ryouta versus Aomine. It's Kaijou versus Touou. You're _Kaijou_'s Kise Ryouta now." Kasamatsu jabbed his finger hard against Kise's chest, forcing Kise back a step. "When you're on the court, you're not just fighting for yourself. You're fighting for _everyone_ out there who_can't_ be on the court. As our ace, you _are_ Kaijou. Play like it."

Kise blinked down at Kasamatsu's finger, and then at Kasamatsu's face. "Did you say... ace? Me?"

Kasamatsu paused; he'd clearly not been expecting that reaction from Kise. "Of course," he said shortly. "The ace scores the points. He leads the team to victory. You're Kaijou's ace."

"I..." Kise's face lit up with a huge smile. "I've never been called an ace before." He grabbed Kasamatsu's hand and shook it, and then beamed at Coach Takeuchi and Kuroko and saluted. "I won't let you down!"

"Wait, I'm not done-" Kasamatsu began, but Kise had already skipped out of the room. "Dammit, Kise!"

"May I leave, too?"

Kasamatsu jumped, and then let out a heavy sigh. "It shouldn't be this easy to forget you're there," he said, frowning at Kuroko.

"That's not a compliment, senpai."

"Sorry, I didn't mean..." Kasamatsu scowled again, staring at the door Kise had just pranced through. He signed deeply and shook his head. "Yes, you can go."

Kuroko glanced at Coach Takeuchi. When Coach Takeuchi nodded, Kuroko excused himself.

* * *

They'd been in the office so long that practice was over. When Kuroko walked into the locker room, the only other person in there was Kise, perched on a bench, tapping away at the screen of his phone.

Kise looked up and beamed. "Kurokocchi, did you hear? I'm the ace!"

Kuroko gave Kise a long look, imagining a wagging tail all too easily. "Congratulations, Kise-kun. I'm sure you'll be the best bench ace Kaijou has ever had."

"Bench a-"

From Kise's frozen expression, it was clear Kise had forgotten his punishment already. Kuroko sighed and headed for his locker. There were times when Kuroko was quite sure most dogs had more brains and self-awareness than Kise did.

Kise whimpered. "Kurokocchi... help me?"

Kuroko took a deep breath before responding. "Have you forgotten how you got into this situation, Kise-kun?"

The lack of an answer was answer enough. Kuroko opened his locker, pulling his things out and heading into the showers, pretending he didn't see the kicked-puppy look on Kise's face.

* * *

When he got out, Kise was still sitting on the locker room bench where Kuroko had left him. Kise looked up, a serious expression on his face. "Ne, Kurokocchi, can I ask you something? I want an honest answer."

Kuroko toweled his hair. "I always answer you honestly, Kise-kun."

"Do you hate me?"

Kuroko peered at Kise from under the towel, and then wiped his bangs back from his head. "I don't hate you, Kise-kun."

"You've been really cold to me ever since the first day of school," Kise said plaintively.

"That's true," Kuroko said after a pause. He counted in his head to three. "I suppose I do hate you a little." He watched as Kise's face fell, and then said, "After all, Kise-kun, you have all the athleticism I've ever wanted. Every time I watch you on the courts, I hate you a little more."

Kise tilted his head. "But you've known that for a while. Besides, for someone who's pretty average, you do really well, Kurokocchi."

"That's not a compliment to me, Kise-kun." Kuroko turned his back on Kise and continued walking towards his locker.

"Ah, sorry, no, I didn't mean it like that," Kise said, scrambling up hastily. "I mean, Kurokocchi, do you remember when we first met and I... uh, well..." Kise trailed off. "Actually, I wasn't very nice then, was I?"

"No you weren't." Kuroko unzipped his bag, retrieving a fresh change of clothes. "The more we talk, Kise-kun, the more I wonder why I continue to talk to you."

"I'm sorry," Kise said, waving his arms quickly. "I really didn't mean it like that, please, Kurokocchi!"

Kuroko sighed deeply. "I know, Kise-kun."

Kise was quiet for a long time. Kuroko finished dressing, and then paused, giving his locker a once-over. He folded his dirty practice clothes to take them home.

Kise said, "Before you chose schools, did you know I was going to be here? At Kaijou, I mean."

Kuroko nodded, and then remembered he was hiding his face behind the locker door. "Yes."

"So you did think it would be nice to play on the same team together again!" Kise smiled his Never-Fail Get Out of Trouble Smile.

"To be honest, Kise-kun, you didn't factor into my decision to come here at all." Kuroko put the shirt he was folding down and moved out from behind the locker door to look straight at Kise. "And even if you had, it would not have been a positive."

Kise bit his lip and looked away.

Kuroko rearranged things in his locker slowly, giving Kise time to process. He was running out of things to move ineffectually and was thinking about walking out and giving up on Kise when Kise finally spoke. "So, Kurokocchi's here _despite_ my being here, then," Kise said quietly. "Was it Kasamatsu-senpai? Coach Takeuchi?"

Kuroko wondered where Kise was going with this train of thought. "Both," he said, closing the locker door quietly. He looked at Kise, face carefully neutral. "The club and the team, too."

"Kaijou's not like Teikou was," Kise said.

"You're right," Kuroko said, taking care to form the words deliberately. "It isn't."

"But we won a lot at Teikou," Kise said after a moment's pause. "Wasn't it fun to win every match? You said you liked winning, that even though the way you play isn't a lot of fun for you, you play that way because losing is less fun."

Kuroko put the rest of his gear in his bag before he turned to face Kise. "At some point, winning became even less fun."

Kise flinched and looked away. Kuroko pulled his bag out of the locker and set it down on the bench, made sure his basketball shoes were packed properly, and then retrieved his walking shoes and socks. He sat down to pull them on.

Kise leaned back, supporting his weight on his arms on the bench. "Kurokocchi, you _really_ hate the points game, don't you?"

"I think it's a terrible thing to do."

"I... I think I'm beginning to understand why you think that."

That got Kuroko's attention, and he paused in the middle of lacing his shoes to look at Kise. "What do you mean, Kise-kun?"

"The last time we spoke, back in Teikou, after the finals..." Kise looked up at the ceiling. "Back then, it seemed like Kurokocchi never wanted anything to do with any of us again. You stopped answering our e-mails or our calls, and you avoided us so well it was like you weren't in school... wait," Kise glanced at Kuroko. "Were you in school?"

Kuroko nodded. He hadn't been there all the time, but he had showed up to classes just often enough to graduate.

Kise looked back up at the ceiling. "So you left us, you stopped hanging out with us, talking to us... and you stopped playing basketball. It's like... you didn't care what we did any more."

"What's your point, Kise-kun?"

"You told us you were quitting basketball, but you're here playing basketball at Kaijou now. You made the decision to leave on your own, and you made the decision to come back on your own. It's like you don't care whether we're on the court or not, even though we were teammates all that time." Kise sat up. "I really don't like how that feels... and I guess if I feel like this about Kurokocchi making important decisions about basketball without considering his friends, then our opponents probably felt bad because we didn't care what they did when we were on the same court, right?"

Kuroko waited, watching Kise impassively.

Kise bit his lip and hung his head. "I-I know this is really late, but I'm really sorry, Kurokocchi. I never saw it that way, even after you tried to tell me. But I get it now, and I'll never do it again."

Well. That was a strange and circuitous route, and some of that logic was questionable, but Kise had gotten there in the end. Back when they were in Teikou and Kise had switched from wanting a new mentor to following Kuroko around in the blink of an eye, it had surprised Kuroko. This time, it was easier for Kuroko to go with the transition.

Besides, it was really difficult to dislike someone who bore such a strong resemblance to a sad puppy. After a moment, Kuroko sighed in defeat. "I believe you. Apology accepted, Kise-kun."

"You mean it?" Kise beamed, straightening. "I'm so relieved, Kurokocchi! I don't like having you angry at me."

"As long as you've learned from this," Kuroko said, lacing his shoes at last.

Kise nodded quickly, and then paused a moment. "Does this mean you'll have me as your light? I really do want to play basketball with you, Kurokocchi."

Even considering Kise's often-mercurial disposition, that felt like a quick change. For a moment, Kuroko wondered whether all that had just been Kise's way of manipulating Kuroko into agreeing. Then he noticed Kise's fingers worrying at the edge of his shirt and the wrinkles he'd put into the material already. "It's a bit early to say, Kise-kun. After all, you're benched."

Kise's face fell, and he jumped up. "Oh no, I have to apologize to Kasamatsu-senpai and Coach, and Moriyama-senpai, and Kobori-senpai, and the guys who were on the other team-" Then he realized he was still in his practice gear. "Argh, and I haven't showered yet! Maybe if I go to the office now... No, I stink, it would be too weird, gotta shower first, but if I rush it I'll smell bad on the train home-"

Kuroko watched Kise scurry around. "Do it tomorrow morning, Kise-kun."

"But I'm benched, I have to play, we can't let Aominecchi say his school is better, even if Momoicchi is there too!" Kise frantically swept some bottles into his shower caddy. "Kaijou won't lose to Touou!"

Kuroko noted Kise's wording, feeling the knot he hadn't realized was in his throat loosen. "Kise-kun."

Kise paused mid-flurry. "Hmm?"

"You can come early and apologize tomorrow morning."

Kise processed that, and then ducked his head, grinning. "Oh. You're right."

Kuroko picked up his bag, turning away to hide a smile. "Good night, Kise-kun. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye!" Kise called over his shoulder as he headed into the showers.


	4. Chapter 4

When Kuroko arrived the next morning, Kise was talking with Kasamatsu in a corner of the gym. Kuroko paused on his way to the locker room to observe. Even though Kise was bowing from the waist, Kasamatsu was still scowling. Kuroko resumed his steps.

At the door to the locker room, he passed Kobori. "Good morning, Kobori-senpai," Kuroko said.

Kobori started, but then he located Kuroko and smiled. "Good morning! I'm glad I didn't overlook you in the locker room after all. I was just looking for you. Here."

Kuroko stared down at the jersey in Kobori's hands, and then looked up at Kobori. "Senpai, am I..."

"Nakamura's starting, but we wanted you on the bench," Kobori said. He flicked a glance towards the gym where Kasamatsu and Kise were. "The way things are going, we'll definitely need you."

Kuroko looked down at the jersey again. Fifteen, the same number he had at Teikou. He wondered whether it was coincidence or intentional. "I'll do my best, but if you'll excuse my presumption, we'll need Kise-kun."

"Oh, I agree." Kobori laid a hand on Kuroko's shoulder. "That was a very heartfelt apology he gave me this morning. You really do get the feeling he says exactly what he's thinking in his heart. It's nice to know guys like that, isn't it?" Kobori looked down and smiled at Kuroko. "I don't think I speak for just myself when I say that both of you make wonderful additions to Kaijou."

Kuroko's hand gripped the jersey tightly. "Thank you, Kobori-senpai."

Kobori patted Kuroko's shoulder again, and then he let go, walking towards Kise and Kasamatsu. Kuroko went into the locker room, his jersey carefully cradled against his chest.

* * *

Two minutes later, as Kuroko was tucking his bag into the bottom of his locker, Kise walked in, shoulders slumped. "It's no good," Kise said with a sigh, sitting heavily on the bench. "Kasamatsu-senpai won't let me start anyway, even though I apologized so many times I lost count."

"That's too bad, Kise-kun." Kuroko pulled his shirt off and shook out the jersey.

Kise straightened, his mouth dropping. "Kurokocchi! You made it!" His face broke into a wide grin, and then he slumped again. "Now I _really_ wish I was playing today."

Kuroko thought about Kobori's words. "Put your jersey on anyway," he said. "You can still be the best bench ace Kaijou will ever have."

"Every time I think you're going to be nice to me, you say something mean," Kise muttered, but he pulled his locker open and retrieved his jersey too.

As Kuroko pulled the matching shorts on, his phone buzzed. He reached down into his bag to retrieve the phone. "Oh, it's Momoi-san."

"What, are they here already?" Kise hurriedly changed. "Come on, Kurokocchi, hurry up!"

Kuroko eyed the non-regulation pants Kise was still wearing. "Unlike someone else, I have my full uniform on already."

"Don't underestimate how quickly a model can change," Kise said, already half out of his pants. "Come on, maybe we can greet them at the gates!"

Kuroko shook his head. "I'm going to the gym. We need to gather there."

"Suit yourself," Kise said, dressed and heading out the door. "I'm not playing, anyway, right? I'll show them where the gym is."

Momoi knew how to get to the gym, Kuroko thought but did not say. He put his phone away as he listened to the sound of Kise's footsteps echoing down the hall. Besides, now that Kise had run off, it fell to Kuroko to tell Coach that their opponents had arrived.

* * *

"Tetsu-kun? We're here!"

Kuroko looked up at Momoi's cheerful greeting. Momoi was the first Touou member through the doors, but she was closely followed by a crowd of large black-clad basketball players. Aomine ambled in, trailing behind the rest of Touou, Kise chattering away next to him. As the coaches greeted each other, Kasamatsu straightened to face a tall player in glasses. "Imayoshi," Kasamatsu said, a spark in his eyes.

"Kasamatsu," Imayoshi replied, eyes hidden behind glasses and a smile as practiced as Kasamatsu's. "Thanks for the practice match. When Momoi-chan suggested it, our Aomine practically begged to come. It's hard not to be curious about an opponent that can get him so excited."

"Who begged?" Aomine said, glaring at Imayoshi. "I certainly didn't."

"Oh?" Imayoshi raised one eyebrow. "Paying attention and listening to instructions counts as positively fawning when it's you." Imayoshi's lips moved into an imitation of a feral smile, and he turned back towards Kasamatsu. "We're expecting great things from Kaijou."

"Likewise," Kasamatsu said, shaking Imayoshi's hand. "Let's have a good game." The captains nodded at each other and backed away, both turning their backs at the same time.

Kuroko and Momoi walked up to Aomine and Kise. Aomine snorted and shook his head. "Who'd have thought you'd both end up on the same team? Is Kise your idea of my replacement, Tetsu? If you wanted a light so bad, why didn't you just come to Touou?"

"Kaijou scouted me and Touou didn't," Kuroko said.

"What, was this _your_ idea?" Aomine asked Kise.

"I didn't know until Momoicchi told me!"

"Whatever," Aomine said, raising an eyebrow. "I guess I should be thankful. This will make it more fun to beat you."

"We won't lose to you," Kise said as "Right, Kurokocchi?"

Kuroko nodded. Momoi beamed at him.

"You've never won against me before." Aomine grinned. "Don't get cocky just because Tetsu's on your team. Tetsu's got his own way of doing things, but we all know he's no match for you or me." He shifted his weight, turning towards the side of the court where the rest of Touou was gathering. "Hurry up and get on the court so we can start this."

Kise's gaze shifted to Kasamatsu, and then to Momoi, Kuroko, and Aomine. "Oh, yeah... I'm not starting," he said.

Aomine whipped back around again. "What!?"

"We'll beat you even without me," Kise said, attempting the Sunshine Sparkle Smile and not quite making it.

Aomine's jaw dropped. "Satsuki! You never said anything about Kise not playing!"

"What happened, Ki-chan?" Momoi said, her face a mask of concern as she scanned Kise visually.

"Oh, no, no, I'm not injured, don't worry," Kise said hurriedly, backing away as if that would keep Momoi from scrutinizing him like that.

"Kise-kun's being punished," Kuroko said to Momoi.

Aomine snorted. "His punishment can start tomorrow. Unless Kaijou's looking for a whipping?"

Kise set his jaw. "Like I said, we won't lose to you, Aominecchi. Sorry, Momoicchi. Kurokocchi's not starting either. You're going to have to make them put us in!"

"This is a joke, right?" Aomine said, looking at Momoi. "And here I am without a magazine... we passed a convenience store on the way, I'm heading there."

"No, you're not," Momoi said, grabbing Aomine's jersey.

"What the hell, Satsuki?" Aomine turned on her as he shook her grip off. "They're both going to be sitting on the bench instead of being on the court! If Kise's not playing, I might as well have stayed at home and napped. Man, we came all this way for nothing. What the hell is Kaijou thinking?"

"Ouch!" Kise cried out suddenly, dropping into a crouch as he cradled his head.

Kuroko turned to see Kasamatsu, who scowled down at Kise before transferring his glare to Kuroko and the others. "That's for ignoring me," Kasamatsu said. "The next time I tell you to gather around, _gather around_."

"Why did you hit me and only me?" Kise gave Kasamatsu an injured look. "Besides, how could I ignore you if I didn't hear you? Kurokocchi, why didn't you say something?"

Kuroko hadn't heard anything either, but he wasn't going to gainsay Kasamatsu when Kasamatsu was wearing that expression. He nodded at Kasamatsu, keeping his face neutral, and slipped towards the rest of the club. Kise whimpered as Kasamatsu reached a hand out to him, and then blinked confusedly as Kasamatsu just held it there.

"Hurry up," Kasamatsu said to him. To Aomine and Momoi, he said, "You two should get back to your team. We're starting now."

Aomine glanced at Kise on the floor, back at Kasamatsu, and then smirked. "Yes, _senpai_," he said, laying more emphasis than necessary on the honorific. "Come on, Satsuki."

Kise whimpered once more, and then reached for Kasamatsu's hand. Kasamatsu pulled him up with a heave, and they headed towards the clump of Kaijou players. Kuroko watched as Aomine sat on the bench sulkily. The Touou coach addressed Aomine as Momoi wrung her hands, but then Kasamatsu called for the club's attention, and Kuroko turned back to his team.

* * *

Somehow, the combined efforts of Touou's coach, Imayoshi, and Momoi had managed to persuade Aomine onto the court. Kise managed to get a seat next to Kuroko as the starters for both teams lined up. Aomine eyed Kaijou's starting regulars, cast a look at Kise (and Kuroko) on the bench, and then yawned and stretched. "I'm bored already," he muttered.

Standing next to Aomine, a scared-looking player who looked as if he'd much rather not be on the court turned and began ducking his head in apology. "I'm sorry you're bored!"

"As always, it's not your fault, Sakurai," Touou's #7 said. "Don't worry about it."

Sakurai's eyes widened, and he bobbed his head down. "Sorry, Susa-senpai!"

The tall blond player on Aomine's other side scowled. "I don't care if you're bored. Just shut up and play," he said to Aomine.

Sakurai cowered. "I'm sorry!" he cried.

"_Not you_, Sakurai," the blond growled.

"I'm sorry I apologized!"

"Leave them be, Wakamatsu," Imayoshi said as the blond player's scowl grew to encompass both Aomine and Sakurai. "It's time for the tip-off."

Wakamatsu faced Kobori with a glower. Kobori smiled at him, eyes narrowing. The whistle blew, and they both leapt into the air, arms stretched up for the ball.

Kobori had the edge; he tipped the ball back towards Kasamatsu, who grabbed it. "Time to greet our guests!" Kasamatsu shouted. "Let's go score first!"

Moriyama, Hayakawa, and Nakamura were already running towards Touou's side of the court. Kasamatsu made as if to pass, but pulled short. Imayoshi gave Kasamatsu a pleasant smile as he guarded Kasamatsu closely, arms stretched wide. Kasamatsu feinted to the left. Imayoshi moved slightly to the left, and then doubled back as Kasamatsu seemed to pause-but Kasamatsu continued moving left.

"Ah, that was nice," Imayoshi said as Kasamatsu lobbed the ball towards Moriyama. "A nationally-ranked player is something else! Unfortunately, there goes Aomine."

Moriyama stepped into the pass, but Aomine was quicker, leaping for it. Aomine landed in front of Moriyama, who immediately shifted into a guarding stance. Aomine dribbled lazily, staying in place, waiting as Hayakawa and Nakamura approached.

"Dear me," Imayoshi said to Kasamatsu. "Three on one against a freshman? You guys sure don't give an inch."

"My mistake, I wasn't aware you wanted one," Kasamatsu replied.

Aomine rolled his eyes as the three Kaijou players surrounded him. "Tch, you took forever getting here. I'm getting old just waiting for you." He crouched, and then exploded into movement, weaving around Moriyama, ducking behind Nakamura as Hayakawa ran forward. As Hayakawa swerved to avoid colliding with Nakamura, Aomine burst towards Kaijou's court. Kobori planted his feet firmly in Aomine's path. Aomine turned, gracefully dodging, reaching up towards the basket-

-and collided with Kasamatsu in the paint right behind Kobori. The ball rolled away as the whistle blew. "Charging," the referee called.

"NICE GUTS, CAPTAIN," Hayakawa cried.

"Shut up, Hayakawa," Kasamatsu shouted back.

Aomine smirked at Kasamatsu on the floor. "Nice work, _senpai_," he said, reaching a hand out.

Kasamatsu grabbed the hand Aomine extended to him and pulled himself up, not going easy on the weight. "What kind of attitude is that from a first year who knocks a senpai down on the court?" he said, scowling at Aomine. Aomine raised an eyebrow, and Kasamatsu turned away, calling for the free throw.

* * *

Thirty seconds into the game, Aomine had scored twice despite Kaijou's best efforts. Kuroko could feel the bench shaking as beside him, Kise vibrated, jiggling his feet to warm up. Kuroko glanced at Kise's face, but Kise was focused on the court, his gaze following the players. Kuroko turned his attention back to the game just as Kasamatsu stole the ball from Imayoshi and broke away.

"That's quite enough of this," Kasamatsu said, making a three-point jump shot. 4-4.

"Yes!" Kise cried along with most of the other Kaijou club members. Kuroko silently echoed them.

Sakurai threw the ball in for Touou, and Aomine prepared himself for another drive. Imayoshi and Kasamatsu kept one eye on each other as they moved to control the middle of the court. Moriyama and Kobori shifted into Aomine's path, but so did Wakamatsu and Sakurai.

"You'(r)e not getting away again!" Hayakawa yelled, running towards Aomine, Susa hot on his tail. Nakamura approached Aomine too, arms outstretched to limit Aomine's range of movement.

Aomine yawned. "This is getting old," he said, tossing the ball backwards into Sakurai's hands without even turning. "Here, Ryou, you can have this for a while."

"I- Yes," Sakurai said, gripping the ball tightly, looking as if he was going to throw up. Hayakawa changed directions and headed for Sakurai, Susa still following him. As Hayakawa approached, Sakurai aimed and fired in the span of two steps, shouting an apology as he did so.

It wasn't going to go in; that much was clear from the ball's trajectory, but Kuroko could tell it wasn't meant to. The ball arced overhead, traveling most of the way down the court, Aomine running it down, Nakamura and Moriyama in pursuit but too far away to do any good. Aomine reached out, fondled the ball (there was no other way for Kuroko to describe it), and then guided it into the basket. The ball went through so quietly Kuroko could barely hear the swish. 6-4.

Nakamura grabbed the ball and stepped out. "Captain!" he shouted.

Kasamatsu received the throw-in, racing down the side, cutting by Susa. He passed to Moriyama, positioned perfectly right outside the three-point line, but then Sakurai was there, and so was Wakamatsu. Moriyama dribbled, pushed back. Kuroko watched as Hayakawa roared and ran down one side of the court and Nakamura silently ran down the other.

Susa cornered Hayakawa. Moriyama passed to Nakamura, but Imayoshi intercepted the pass. "Sorry to disappoint you," he said pleasantly to Nakamura as he turned and passed the ball to Aomine. Kobori tried to cut off the pass, but Aomine sidestepped, slid towards the ball, and cut Kobori off instead. Aomine turned to shoot. Kobori leapt in front of Aomine, shoulders wide, arms pressing into Aomine's shooting path.

Aomine aborted his shot mid-movement, fingers curling around the ball as he pivoted, bringing the ball from high up to down below. His back to the goal, Aomine released the ball from underneath in a one-handed underhand shot. 8-4.

"Good effort, Kobori," Kasamatsu said. He clapped Kobori on the back. "Don't let it get to you. We're holding them down well. Send it to the others if you can."

Kobori nodded, stepping out for the throw-in. He passed to Hayakawa. "It's my turn to shine! KAIJOUUUUU!" Hayakawa shouted, driving down the court.

"NOT WHILE YOU'RE FACING TOUOU!" Wakamatsu shouted back, cutting in front of Hayakawa.

Hayakawa pulled up, took a step back, and turned towards Kobori. Wakamatsu lunged, arms reaching out to cut off a pass-Hayakawa dashed past Wakamatsu, whose center of gravity was too far out to turn back.

From beside Kuroko, Kise cheered. "Go, Hayakawa-senpai!"

Hayakawa dashed into the paint. "WATCH ME, KISEEEEEE!"

Imayoshi and Sakurai darted in, Imayoshi successfully cutting off Hayakawa's approach. Hayakawa smoothly threw the ball backwards to where Moriyama was waiting. Moriyama jumped, arms moving up to shoot, releasing the ball smoothly-

-Aomine jumped, blocking the shot. One dribble, and he was gone, weaving past Hayakawa and Moriyama, past Nakamura and Kobori. He paused in front of Kasamatsu just inside the three-point line, lifted the ball, and shot. Kasamatsu jumped, but the arc was too high. 10-4.

* * *

The game continued. Kaijou was fending off the rest of Touou well, putting up a good fight even in the face of Aomine's plays, but Touou was cutting off Kaijou's passes presciently. Perhaps too presciently, considering that in Kuroko's opinion everyone else on the court-with the exception of Aomine-was evenly matched. Kuroko glanced at the Touou bench, where Momoi was smiling, a clipboard hugged to her chest. That reminded Kuroko; the starters were all upperclassmen, and knowing Momoi, she would have been able to find at least a full year's data on most of them; two years in the case of the three seniors.

When Imayoshi shot a three-pointer to make the score 21-4, Kise stood up. "I can't stand this," Kise muttered, heading towards Coach Takeuchi. Kuroko watched as Kise pleaded to be let on the court. "Coach, please, they need a change!"

Coach Takeuchi nodded and stood, signaling to the referee. "Player substitution for Kaijou," he said. Kise bounced on his heels, running to the sideline, lifting his hand to signal. "Not you," Coach Takeuchi said. "Kuroko, take Nakamura's place."

Kise's arm dropped to his side. Kuroko stood, glad he had already put on his wristbands. "Yes, sir."

On the court, Aomine flashed a smile full of white teeth. "Don't use up all your stamina too quickly, Tetsu," he said as he glanced at Kise. "We still have to get Kise on the court. It shouldn't take more than another minute, at most."

"Kurokocchi," Kise whined as Kuroko raised his arm.

Kuroko glanced out onto the court and met Aomine's eyes. "Please sit back down, Kise-kun," Kuroko said.

Nakamura's face was a sea of frustration as he jogged off the court. Kuroko nodded to Nakamura as they high-fived, and then stepped across the sideline and turned towards Aomine. "It's been a while, Aomine-kun."

Aomine's grin sharpened. "I hope you haven't gotten rusty. Kise's not the only one I've been hoping to play against. It'll be interesting to see how your new light compares to your old, won't it?"

"As much as Kise-kun would like to play, I don't mind disappointing him, and there are others on the court, Aomine-kun."

"Yeah, yeah," Aomine said, one hand on his hip, lips curling as he smirked down at Kuroko. "Reliable senpai and all that. Their lights aren't even a flicker. To even have a hope of beating me, you're going to need Kise. Even then, you're not going to win, but if it's you and Kise, it'll at least be interesting."

Kuroko narrowed his eyes. "We'll see, Aomine-kun."

* * *

Play resumed with the ball in Imayoshi's hands. He turned, passing to Susa-

-Kuroko stepped in, cutting off the pass. He whirled, lobbing the ball overhead. The pass landed in Moriyama's hands; Moriyama jumped and shot while Sakurai was caught off-balance, reducing the point deficit by three. Wakamatsu grabbed the ball, tossing it to Sakurai, but Kasamatsu intercepted the pass, side-stepped outside the three-point line, and sunk another basket before anyone could stop him.

The score was now 21-9. Amidst the cheers of the rest of the club, Kuroko could hear Kise shouting, "You show them, Kurokocchi!"

Out of the corner of his eyes, Kuroko noticed Kasamatsu trying to keep in between Susa and Imayoshi as Susa juked to the right and moved to the left to shake him off. Kuroko slipped towards the open right quietly.

Imayoshi tut-tutted from where he stood just outside the court. "Here," he said, throwing the ball into the court, directly at Kuroko.

Kuroko grabbed the ball and pivoted. He just managed to avoid giving Imayoshi a sharp glance. Phantoms were successful because they were unobtrusive; by giving the ball to Kuroko, Imayoshi had made Kuroko the center of attention, effectively unveiling him, and if Kuroko didn't pass soon, someone would probably attempt to steal from Kuroko (and succeed.) Hayakawa was nearby, but Wakamatsu was too close. Moriyama and Sakurai were still jockeying for position. Kuroko sensed movement, glanced, and saw Kasamatsu racing down the side. He aimed towards where Kasamatsu would be in two steps-

-but Aomine was there in one. "I've been waiting for you to show me something good, but you're still the same as you were in middle school," Aomine said, intercepting the ball and tossing it behind him with the briefest of backwards glances. The ball swished through the net. 23-9.

Aomine turned to Kasamatsu. "I'm bored, and I'm getting impatient. I suggest you tell Kise to get out here now, if you please, _senpai_."

Kasamatsu lifted his chin. "With this kind of point difference? You have a very high opinion of yourself, first-year brat."

Aomine raised both his eyebrows. "Oh, is _that_ what it'll take?"

* * *

As the whistle blew and they filed off the court for the first break, the scoreboard read 34-15. Kise paced restlessly behind Coach Takeuchi. He gave the upperclassmen-especially Kasamatsu-a pleading glance. "Senpai," he said, not quite begging, but very close.

Kuroko dropped his weight on the bench and guzzled the contents of his bottle. Over the sounds of his team-mates' tired sighs and conversation, he could hear Aomine say, "You guys don't need me. I'll just take a nap right here. Wake me when they decide Kise's playing."

"Stop whining," Momoi said, smacking him with her clipboard.

"Can it, Satsuki. It's boring and I don't feel like playing any more!"

"Now now, Aomine-kun," Imayoshi said in a voice clearly meant to carry. "You need to learn some manners. When someone hands you a gift, you don't complain, you accept it gracefully and thank them for it."

With his back to the Touou benches, Kasamatsu clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and then let his breath out. Kuroko mentally counted up slowly; before he got to ten, Kasamatsu said, "Their ace had his chance. It's time for _our_ ace to return the favor."

* * *

As they assembled for Kasamatsu's instructions before the second quarter, Kise stood beside Kuroko, still bouncing on his heels. His expression was serious, and there wasn't a hint of a smile on his normally sunny face. Kise looked down, noticing Kuroko's scrutiny. "What is it, Kurokocchi?"

"With this score, we'll need to be serious from the beginning," Kuroko said.

"I know." Kise glanced over at the Touou benches, where Aomine had just noticed Kise and was standing up with a huge grin on his face.

Kasamatsu cleared his throat obviously. Both Kise and Kuroko turned their full attention on him, which earned them a nod. Kasamatsu met each of their eyes in turn, and made sure to include those on the bench as well. "This time we're not holding anything back," he said, nodding at Kise. "We still haven't welcomed our guests properly, and that's not the way we do things around here, is it?"

Moriyama was looking at Touou's bench, a dreamy expression on his face. "Got it. I'll make sure to sink a few spectacular three-pointers for Momoi-san's sake!"

"DO YOU WANT ME TO SWITCH YOU OUT!?" Kasamatsu yelled at him.

"Good luck, Moriyama-senpai," Kise said with a laugh. His eyes sharpened as he gazed over at Touou. "Leave Aominecchi to me."

Kuroko jabbed a finger in Kise's side. Kise winced, doubling as he pulled away from Kuroko. "What was that for?"

"You're not the only one on the court," Kuroko reminded him.

"I remember, I remember!" Kise straightened, rubbing his side as he looked over at Aomine again. "It's just, Aominecchi's not the only one on the court too. Kurokocchi and the rest of the team will have to deal with the others, though; I don't think I can take my focus off Aominecchi today."

Kuroko looked up as Kasamatsu laid a quelling hand on Kuroko's shoulder. "Do what you have to," Kasamatsu said to Kise. Kuroko felt Kasamatsu squeeze his shoulder. He met Kasamatsu's eyes. "We're here to support our ace," Kasamatsu said, looking straight at Kuroko. "Right?"

Kuroko nodded.

* * *

Aomine gave them a feral grin as Kaijou's players returned to the court. "_Finally_ I can play some basketball," he said.

"I'm not going to lose today, Aominecchi," Kise said, the glint in his eyes matching Aomine's. Then Kise glanced down at Kuroko and added, "Kurokocchi and I are going to beat you."

Aomine rolled his eyes. "Teamwork suits Tetsu; he's too weak to hold his own. You and I, though... other people would only slow us down. Don't you dare hold back on me."

"Remember you said that when we win," Kise said.

Aomine snorted. "I'm looking forward to that," he said dismissively. "I'm sure it'll happen some day."

Kuroko said, "Today, Aomine-kun."

Both Kise and Aomine looked at Kuroko. Aomine shrugged. "Yeah, whatever. Say that when you beat me."

* * *

Despite an earth-shattering roar from Wakamatsu, Kobori won the tip-off. Kasamatsu grabbed it and passed to Kise. "Show them a Kaijou greeting, Kise!"

Kise received the ball gracefully and dribbled down the court. He stopped short as Aomine darted in front of him. Aomine crouched, guarding Kise closely. Kuroko held his breath with the rest of the spectators. Both Aomine and Kise tensed at the same time. Kise dashed forward and to the right, sliding past Aomine's left.

"He did it!" someone in the spectators shouted.

Aomine turned smoothly, jabbing at the ball; it bounced away from Kise towards Sakurai.

"It's a steal!" someone else shouted.

Kuroko darted in front of Sakurai and tapped the ball, diverting it towards Moriyama at the last moment. Moriyama made the three-point jump shot despite Wakamatsu lunging towards him. 34-18.

"First points!" Hayakawa shouted.

Wakamatsu growled at him. "You're still almost twenty points behind," he snarled. "Besides, just shut up already, you're way too loud!"

Kuroko watched Imayoshi and Kasamatsu glance at each other and raise an eyebrow simultaneously before shaking their heads.

Susa threw the ball in, and Wakamatsu grabbed it. Kuroko wasn't the only player who gave chase as both Susa and Wakamatsu drove the ball towards Kaijou's goal. Wakamatsu aimed as if to shoot, but Kobori blocked off the path to the goal. Wakamatsu glanced around and passed it to Sakurai, a clean bounce on the opposite side of the court and too far away for Kuroko to intercept.

Sakurai grabbed the ball, transitioning into a shooting stance. "Excuse me!"

Moriyama jumped, arms outstretched, blocking the path, but it was too late; Sakurai had already released the shot. 37-18.

The ball swished through the net and bounced off Hayakawa's head. Hayakawa grabbed it, stepped out, and threw with all his might. "KISEEEEE!"

Kise received the ball at mid-court but barely had a chance to dribble as Aomine immediately guarded him. Kise transitioned into Sakurai's shooting stance, releasing the ball.

"Still copying others, I see," Aomine said, jumping higher than Moriyama had. His fingers touched the ball.

"REBOUND!" Kasamatsu shouted.

Kobori, Wakamatsu, Hayakawa and Susa were already under the goal. All four of them jumped, their arms tangling in front of the basket. The ball bounced off the backboard and hit the rim, ricocheting into someone's hand-Kuroko couldn't tell whose. Whoever it was, they tipped the ball into the net. 37-20.

"NICE, KOBORI-SENPAI!" Hayakawa shouted. Kobori gave Hayakawa a thumbs-up.

Susa stepped out for the throw-in; Kuroko diverted it to Kise. Aomine was there again in an instant, guarding Kise closely. Both Aomine and Kise locked gazes. Kise glanced away to the left. Aomine lunged for the ball as Kise turned; the Kaijou spectators groaned as Aomine broke away with the ball. Kise ran after Aomine, both of them outpacing the other players in just a couple of steps. At the three-point line, Aomine side-stepped and shot. Kise's outstretched arm swiped through empty air; the ball went into the basket. 40-20.

Kuroko was waiting under the basket. Kasamatsu and Moriyama began running back towards Touou's goal; Kuroko grabbed the ball, stepped out, and threw an underhanded pass as far as he could.

Eyes on the ball, Imayoshi and Kasamatsu jockeyed for position. Imayoshi reached up and over Kasamatsu, using his height to intercept the ball. He brought it down and dribbled once; Kasamatsu speared the ball away and burst towards Touou's goal. One step, two-Imayoshi swiped at the ball, but Kasamatsu stepped back in a fadeaway and shot. 40-23.

"Don't stop, keep attacking!" Kasamatsu shouted. "We won't let them score, so just keep going!"

Kise ran up, a huge smile on his face. "Senpai, that was amazing!"

"You!" Kasamatsu punched Kise's shoulder. "After begging to be put in, _this_ is all you do? Stop letting Aomine beat you up!"

"Yes, yes, I'm sorry!" Kise wailed, putting on a burst of speed to get out of Kasamatsu's reach. Kuroko suppressed a smile before it could break free.

Kaijou's players spread out; Kuroko guarded Susa as Wakamatsu threw the ball towards Imayoshi. Susa ran forward; Imayoshi passed. Kuroko had been waiting for this; from behind Susa, he reached in between Susa's arm and body, pushing the ball towards Kasamatsu.

Kasamatsu dribbled down the court, Aomine and Kise in hot pursuit. Hayakawa was already waiting beneath the basket. Kasamatsu prepared to shoot; Aomine loomed before him. Kasamatsu smirked at Aomine, completing his shot-backwards towards Kise. Aomine burst into a blur of speed, shot past Kasamatsu, and grabbed the ball as it left Kasamatsu's fingers. He didn't stop, continuing down towards Kaijou's goal. Kise stepped into Aomine's path. Aomine didn't pause; he side-stepped and kept running-

-straight into Kuroko. Kuroko landed with a painful wince as the whistle blew.

Aomine laughed. "Fool me twice, shame on me," he said as he pulled Kuroko up with a glance at Kasamatsu. "Is Kise's copying rubbing off on you, Tetsu?"

Kuroko ignored the comment, letting go of Aomine's hand as soon as he was up. Kasamatsu nodded at Kuroko. As Kuroko bounced the ball, standing at the free-throw line, he noted Hayakawa and Kobori's positions under the basket. He took careful aim and shot.

He was disappointed when it hit the rim and tipped outside.

"(R)EBOUND!"

Hayakawa grabbed the ball, beating out Wakamatsu. He tried for a shot, but Wakamatsu blocked it and sent the ball towards Imayoshi. Imayoshi grabbed the ball, surveyed the court, and sent the ball flying down the court with a long pass. Kuroko was already running, but the ball was just out of reach above him even as he jumped with all his might. In front of him, Susa grabbed the ball from well above Kuroko's reach, turned, and shot.

Kise jumped, blocking the shot like Wakamatsu. The ball bounced into Moriyama's hands. Moriyama turned and passed backwards-

-Aomine grabbed the ball mid-air and shot it into the goal without landing first. 42-23.

* * *

As the others ran back down the court following Moriyama's throw-in, Kuroko hung back, trying to catch his breath. He looked up as Aomine paused beside him.

Aomine glanced at Kise's back. "You shouldn't have come here, Tetsu," he said, eyes narrowing. "You've ruined him."

Before Kuroko could find a response to that, Aomine jogged down the court.


	5. Chapter 5

By the second break, the score was 55-27.

Kasamatsu stopped Kise as soon as they were off the court. "What is it?" he asked bluntly.

Kise blinked at Kasamatsu. "What's what?"

"You're not playing like yourself," Kasamatsu said. Behind him, Moriyama and Kobori exchanged glances, but said nothing.

"I'm playing just fine," Kise protested. "Kurokocchi, tell them!"

Kuroko thought about what Aomine had said and frowned. "No," he said slowly. "Kise-kun's playing... differently."

"Of course I'm playing differently," Kise said. "We're a team, I'm playing on a team! Isn't this how you play on a team?"

Kasamatsu narrowed his eyes at Kise and then pointed to the bench. "Sit." He crooked a finger at Kuroko and pointed at a spot right next to where he'd told Kise to sit. "You too."

Kuroko sat down next to Kise and looked up at Kasamatsu.

Kasamatsu crossed his arms and sighed. "Kise, are you or are you not Kaijou's ace?"

"Of course I am!" Kise said indignantly.

"Are you sure?"

There was a dangerous glint in Kasamatsu's eyes. Kise opened his mouth, shut it again. Then he said, "I'm the only one here who can take on Aominecchi. Whether or not that makes me the ace, I'm the only one who can do it."

"Then do it," Kasamatsu said. "Don't look back, don't wait for us. Chase him down and make him pay, then leave him in your dust."

"But..." Kise looked confused. "Team play..."

Kasamatsu sighed deeply. "There's team play, and then there's playing as a team," he said. "Kaijou plays as a team. As a part of the team, you have a role to play, and your role is that of the ace. The ace leads us to victory. You don't do that by stopping to check on the rest of us as you go. Trust in us, we'll be right there behind you."

Kise fell silent.

Kuroko thought about Aomine's words again as he glanced at Kise's face, and then made his decision. "The stronger the light, the darker the shadow," he said.

Kise looked at Kuroko, blinking in confusion. "What?"

Kuroko had forgotten Kise's lack of affinity for poetic imagery. "The brighter you shine, Kise-kun, the more I can support you, and the longer it takes for my effectiveness to wear off. The better we play, the better Kaijou will be."

"The stronger the light..." Kise glanced at Aomine too, and then back at Kuroko. "Kurokocchi, are you saying you're choosing me as your light?"

Kuroko nodded.

"I can just... focus on beating Aominecchi?"

Kuroko nodded again.

Kise's jaw set. He nodded.

Kasamatsu looked as if he was going to ask a question, but then shook his head. "We're good?"

Kuroko looked at Kise, who was looking at Aomine with a new fire in his eyes. "We're good," Kuroko said.

* * *

They walked back onto the court. Aomine, sulkily dragging his feet onto the court, glanced at them, did a double take, and focused on Kise. He straightened and glanced at Kuroko. "What did you do?" he asked.

"I made a decision," Kuroko said.

"Is that so," Aomine said, looking at Kise. "Maybe you can tell me about it after I beat you."

"_We're_ going to beat _you_," Kise said. "Focus on me, Aominecchi, or you're going to regret it."

Aomine flashed his teeth at Kise. "That's more like it," he said as the whistle blew.

* * *

Kaijou started with possession of the ball. Kasamatsu passed it to Kobori, who sent it to Kise. Kise and Aomine faced each other on the court, Kise dribbling, Aomine guarding.

"Come, entertain me, Kise!" Aomine shouted.

He lunged at the ball, and Kise pulled it back, turning away. Aomine put on a burst of speed and stole the ball. He bounced it off the court, and the ball flew high above the players towards Kaijou's basket. Susa and Wakamatsu leapt, ready to tip the ball in.

"That's not for you," Aomine said, jumping as he dashed past Kise. He reached up, pushing Wakamatsu out of the way to get the ball-

-the ball didn't budge as Kise's hand grabbed the other side. They struggled in the air, Aomine pushing the ball towards the basket, Kise pushing right back. As they landed, Aomine regained control of the ball. He jumped backwards and shot, the ball flying almost straight up, and landed on his back with a laugh. The ball swished through the hoop. 57-25.

"YES!" Aomine said, throwing his head back with a bark of joy. "Like that, keep playing like that!"

Kise grabbed the ball and stepped out. He threw with all his might, and then both Aomine and Kise took off running towards the other end of the court.

* * *

Two minutes later, the score was 62-32. Kise had scored with a last-minute tip, but Aomine had then sent the ball roaring back from the half-court line and into the basket. Kise reciprocated with an identical shot. Aomine stole the ball from Moriyama's throw-in and wove past the rest of Kaijou; he beat Kise and dunked the ball firmly into Kaijou's basket.

Moriyama ran back towards the other side of the court, panting. "I want to help, but stepping into that would be like stepping into the eye of a hurricane."

"Just be ready," Kasamatsu said, giving Moriyama a pat on the back as he passed him. "All we can do right now is keep the others from interfering."

The brighter the light, the darker the shadow, Kuroko thought. All eyes were on Kise and Aomine now. Kobori threw the ball in as Aomine and Kise sped down towards the other side, and Kuroko stepped up, pushing the ball out of the way into Kasamatsu's hands. Kasamatsu didn't hesitate-he shot before any of Touou's other players could react.

Aomine blocked the shot and landed to face Kise's guard. He smirked, stepping back behind the three-point line, throwing himself backwards horizontally as he shot.

Kise threw himself forward over Aomine, swiping the ball away.

Kasamatsu chased the ball, catching it just in time; he flung the ball back onto the court as the momentum of the chase kept him running straight off it. Moriyama ran for the ball, but Wakamatsu was faster-

-Kuroko was there, hand on the ball, changing its course, sending it flying towards Touou's basket. Kise was there, Aomine was there, and Kise reached out. Aomine stuck his hand between the ball and the hoop as Kise tipped the ball up and over the basket-

-into the hands of Kobori, waiting on the other side. Kobori pushed the ball in. 62-34.

* * *

Sakurai barely managed a shot despite Moriyama's block. 65-34.

Kobori screened Susa to give Moriyama room to move. 65-37.

Kuroko stole Imayoshi's pass, and Moriyama picked it up for another three-pointer. 65-40.

Aomine dunked the ball into Kaijou's goal. 67-40.

Moriyama shot. Sakurai's fingers brushed against the ball. Kobori won the rebound. 67-42.

Imayoshi's shot from the three-point line swished through the basket. 70-42.

Kuroko stole the ball and Kise mimicked Imayoshi. 70-45.

Aomine stole the ball from Kobori and threw it at the goal one-handed. The ball bounced off the backboard, met the rim, and fell into the hoop. 72-45.

Kise ran past Kuroko, driving the ball down the court. "Not enough, not good enough," Kuroko heard him mutter.

Imayoshi stepped in front of Kise. Kise ducked to the side and kept going. Imayoshi, turning to follow, ran into Kasamatsu's screen. Kise stepped up to face Wakamatsu and threw himself backwards as he shot in a mirror image of Aomine's form.

The ball swished in. 72-48.

* * *

The last break came while the score was 78-56. Kuroko dropped himself onto the bench, too tired to drink.

Kasamatsu glanced at Kuroko. "Can you still go on?"

"Yes," Kuroko said, standing up to prove it. His legs gave way, depositing him back on the bench. "No. I'm sorry."

Kasamatsu patted Kuroko's shoulder. "You did well. Rest. We'll keep it going."

* * *

Hayakawa returned to the court in Kuroko's place. He drove the ball down the court, running towards Wakamatsu, and then at the last moment passed to Kise. Kise dunked despite Wakamatsu's block. 78-58.

Imayoshi passed the ball to Aomine, who slammed the ball into the basket over the heads of Kobori and Moriyama. 80-58.

Susa threw the ball to Imayoshi, but it was intercepted by Kasamatsu. Moriyama made the three-point jump shot. 80-61.

Kise stole the ball from Sakurai. Aomine stopped Kise from driving down the court. Kise feinted to the left, but Aomine matched his movements and held him at center court. Kise darted forward, trying to dribble, but Aomine swiped at the ball. Kise lifted the ball high overhead and shot one-handed; it hit the backboard. Hayakawa grabbed the rebound and scored. 80-63.

Imayoshi feinted a shot. Hayakawa leapt to block it, and Imayoshi bounced the ball between Hayakawa's legs-

-Kise stole it and threw it one-handed over Imayoshi and Hayakawa's heads. The basket was too far, but there was Kasamatsu, running the ball down in front of Susa, driving it into the paint, passing the ball to Moriyama, waiting in the corner. Moriyama made another three-pointer. 80-66.

* * *

Slowly, Kaijou narrowed the point gap. With two minutes to go, the score was 91-80.

Beside Kuroko, Nakamura muttered under his breath. "Dear lord, please make it..."

Kuroko stared at the game, gripping the bench tightly.

* * *

98-86 with thirty seconds to go. Imayoshi transitioned into the same shooting stance as before. Hayakawa realized his mistake too late to block the shot. 101-86.

Kise copied Imayoshi's feint. Aomine snarled, looming before Kise. "If all you do is copy, you're never going to beat me!"

Kise shot. Aomine blocked the ball, pulling it down one-handed. He stepped back and shot. Kise blocked the ball, pulling it down one-handed. Kise dropped and drove forward, breaking past Aomine. Aomine spun and jabbed at the ball, but it wasn't there-Kise had put on a burst of speed. Aomine ran after him-

-Kise sidestepped and shot a three-pointer as Aomine caught up.

Kuroko blinked-it was as if Kise and Aomine had switched places.

The ball flew through the air and swished through the hoop. 101-89, twenty-seven seconds to go.

Wakamatsu tossed the ball at Sakurai. Kise intercepted the throw-in. Aomine cut in front of Kise, forcing Kise backwards. Kise juked to the left and transitioned into a shooting stance. Aomine didn't jump-he swiped the ball out of Kise's hands and ran down the court, Kise only a step behind him. Susa moved into their path, planting his legs as Aomine dodged to the left.

Kise slid to the right past Susa and kept up the chase. Aomine shot, Kise one step too slow to stop him. 103-89.

Kasamatsu stepped out and tossed the ball at Kise. Kise drove down the court again, Aomine on his heels, both of them weaving through the other players into the paint. Kise approached the basket for a lay-up. Aomine lunged, reaching over Kise's head-

-"Aomine-kun, NO!" Momoi shouted-

-Aomine bumped into Kise as Kise reached up. The referee blew his whistle. Kise twisted, releasing the ball in a backwards one-handed underhand shot Kuroko recognized as Aomine's from the first quarter.

"Basket counts, one throw!" said the referee. 103-91.

They lined up. Kise made the free throw. 103-92.

Sakurai threw the ball in. Kise intercepted it. Aomine stepped in front of Kise, and Kise transitioned into a fadeaway from underneath the basket. The ball flew up, away from the goal-

-Moriyama grabbed it and returned the shot as Sakurai lunged-

-the ball bounced off the rim into Wakamatsu's hands-

-Wakamatsu threw it down the court towards Aomine-

-Kise intercepted it, immediately returning the ball in a high pass-

-Kobori grabbed the pass and forced it in over Sakurai's head. 103-94.

"Less than ten points!" someone shouted from the stands. "GO, KAIJOU, GO!"

Seven seconds on the clock. Susa threw the ball to Imayoshi at center court. Imayoshi turned to drive-

-Kise stole the ball, rushing past him. Susa stepped in front of Kise. Kise pivoted smoothly, bringing the ball around him, dodging past Susa-

-Aomine reached in and grabbed the ball. He pulled back and threw one-handed. The ball slipped cleanly through the basket. 106-94.

Three seconds to go. Kasamatsu threw the ball high overhead. Kise and Aomine raced down the court, both of them leaping for it at the same time-

-Aomine edged Kise out.

They landed, both of them breathing hard; Kise lunged for the ball. Aomine stepped back, turned and shot. The referee blew his whistle just as the ball went through the hoop.

109-94.

"I told you. The only one who can beat me is me." Aomine turned, walking off the court without looking back.

On the court, Kise stared at the hoop, panting and choking down huge gulps of breath.

Behind Kuroko, someone said, "That was like watching the finals at Nationals."

"I couldn't breathe," said someone else.

"So this is what it's like when two players of the Generation of Miracles go up against each other."

"Our ace is better!" someone shouted. "A little more time and we would have won it!"

"Kaijou! Kaijou! Kaijou!"

Kasamatsu walked up to Kise. "You did well," he said, patting him on the back. "Come on. It's time to line up. We'll make them pay at the Interhigh."

Kise let out a sob and squeezed his eyes shut, gritting his teeth and failing not to cry. Kasamatsu put an arm around Kise, guiding him to the line-up. Kuroko dug his nails into the bench beneath him, wishing he'd had the stamina to help.

* * *

Some time between the end of the match and the time Touou boarded their team bus, Kise disappeared. Kuroko waited until the Touou bus was outside the school gates before going in search of Kise. He checked the locker room, the gym, the equipment room, and even peered into Coach Takeuchi's office. No Kise.

It wasn't until Kuroko had showered that he realized there was one more place he hadn't checked.

* * *

Kuroko pushed the door to the rooftop open. "Kise-kun?"

"Oh, I've been found!" Kise was still in his basketball uniform. He gave Kuroko a wan smile. "I should have guessed you'd find me, Kurokocchi."

"I'm the one who first told Aomine-kun about the Teikou rooftop," Kuroko said. "May I join you?"

Kise nodded, and Kuroko sat down beside him. Kise leaned back and rested on his arms, looking up at the sky again. "Say, Kurokocchi..."

"Yes, Kise-kun?"

"Are you sure there are worse things than losing?"

Kuroko leaned back too, hands resting on the concrete rooftop. "I'm sure, Kise-kun."

"Okay." Kise mulled it over for a little while. "This _really_ sucks, though."

"It does."

Kise let out a loud sigh and released his arms to lie back and look up at the sky. Kuroko looked for the sun. It was a bright day, and there was plenty of blue between the white clouds, but the sun was nowhere to be seen. He listened to the birds chirping. In a couple of months, there would be cicadas to drown out the birds.

A few minutes later, Kise said, "I really thought that together, we would beat him today."

"Me too, Kise-kun."

They sat in silence. It wasn't an uncomfortable one.

"I need to get stronger," Kise said at last. "I'm going to get stronger."

Kuroko nodded. "Me too."

"The next time we meet, Aominecchi's going down."

Kuroko nodded. The Interhigh preliminaries were a couple of months away. Touou was in Tokyo, so Kaijou would have to get to the knockout rounds before they would meet Touou on the court. Looking at Kise's determined face, Kuroko knew they would get there.

Kise's phone rang, the bouncy J-pop ringtone breaking the silence. Kise glanced at the phone. "It's Kasamatsu-senpai," he said, sounding surprised. He picked up the call. "Hello?"

"WHERE ARE YOU? GET BACK TO THE LOCKER ROOM, YOU'RE MISSING THE POST-MORTEM!"

Kise nearly dropped the phone. From where he was sitting, Kuroko could hear every word Kasamatsu was shouting clearly. He winced in sympathy for Kise's hearing.

"Ah, sorry, senpai, we're coming right back!" Kise said, jumping up.

"That 'we' had better mean Kuroko is coming back too!"

Kise glanced at Kuroko. Kuroko nodded. "Yes, we're both coming right now!" Kise said.

Kuroko could hear a muttered "Damned freshmen, you just can't leave them alone..." and then a beep.

Kise blinked. "... Senpai hung up."

Kuroko got up, dusting his pants off. "We shouldn't keep them waiting," he said.

* * *

As he crossed the light threshold between the bright rooftop and the darker interior of the building, a thought occurred to Kuroko. "Kise-kun?"

Kise turned back from the landing to look up at Kuroko. "What is it?"

"After the meeting-" Kuroko eyed Kise's uniform- "after your shower, let's stop by the convenience store on the way home."

After a moment, Kise beamed, the Sunshine Sparkle Smile back in full force. "Sure! Wanna split a popsicle? It's been a while since I've had someone to share it with!"

"That sounds nice." Kuroko smiled back at Kise. "I haven't had a popsicle in a while."

Kise threw both his hands in the air and cheered. "All right! I hope the post-mortem doesn't take too long! Come on, Kurokocchi-the sooner we get there, the sooner we get out of there!"

"I'm coming, Kise-kun." Kuroko closed the door to the rooftop slowly so it wouldn't slam and joined Kise on the landing. Kise fell in step beside Kuroko, and together, they headed for the locker room, where the rest of the team was waiting.


End file.
